Visibility, Access, Power: Why research data infrastructure matters

We live in an age where data seems to be everywhere. As citizens and consumers we leave data traces, as scientists we have more and more data to analyse. At the same time, access to data is becoming more restricted. While authoritarian countries rely on data for surveillance, they are also making it harder for outsiders to access data in and about their countries. Not to mention that data, especially false data can be used as a tool for propaganda. But there is hope: research data infrastructure can help to connect, interpret and contextualise data and even make available local information that contradicts the narratives of authoritarian state propaganda. With a view to the launch of the new ZOiS project KoDaNetOst, Kerstin Bischl speaks with Felix Herrmann from Discuss Data and Ivaylo Dinev from the KonKoop Datalab about objectives, chances and challenges that come with researching Eastern Europe and Central Asia.