Home Compact of Expectations

Compact of Expectations

Last updated: May 19, 2022

The Jackson Research Group

Lab Mission and Philosophy

The research group is led by Corey Jackson, Ph.D., a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Information School. The central mission of this group is to contribute knowledge about how users behave in social computing systems to improve users’ experiences through theory-based design. There are two research streams led by Prof. Jackson in collaboration with graduate and undergraduate students.

Human Behavior in Social Computing Systems

Research in this area primarily investigates how individuals interact and contribute to various social computing platforms, especially citizen science projects. We utilize qualitative methods like interviews and quantitative tools, including system log data analysis and machine learning techniques, to model and enhance user behavior, learning, and motivation. We aim to develop insights that inform better system design to foster effective collaboration and increased user engagement.

Key research questions include:

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Ethics

Our work in AI and machine learning ethics focuses on evaluating and developing frameworks to ensure that AI systems are transparent, fair, and accountable. This includes conducting socio-technical audits and legislative analyses to examine how AI policies are formulated and implemented across different states. We work with policymakers, data scientists, and community members to bridge the gap between technical potential and ethical application. Methods we use include content analysis of legislative documents, interviews with stakeholders, and scenario-based evaluations to assess the impacts of AI decisions.

Key research questions include:

As a research advisor, I aim to prepare you to become an independent thinker capable of doing independent research. This involves developing research questions by examining literature or emergent phenomena, developing a research plan to address those questions, executing the research, and communicating results to diverse audiences.

The remainder of this document provides current and prospective students with information about expectations while collaborating with the PI and other group members.

Expectations

I look to work with students curious about how technology transforms society. At the heart of our research group’s mission is advancing knowledge and creating practical solutions that positively impact individuals and society. I believe in the power of collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking to address complex challenges in the digital age. I am passionate about enhancing the interaction between humans and technology, ensuring that user experiences are intuitive, efficient, and inclusive. Our research takes a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, bringing together diverse perspectives and skill sets and allowing us to address complex problems from multiple angles. We value creativity, curiosity, and a dedication to pushing the boundaries of knowledge in our respective fields.

Joining My Research Group

Certifications. All students must complete online training in Responsible Conduct of Research and Human Subjects research. Please visit CITI. For most research projects, the Social and Behavioral Science modules are sufficient. The training should take one to two hours to complete. Please email me your certification after completing the module at cbjackson2@wisc.edu.

Meetings. To ensure you are on track with research, we should meet one-on-one at the beginning of each semester to set expectations for the semester’s work. This generally involves discussing what we both hope to accomplish from your membership in the group, such as learning new data analysis skills or publishing a paper at a conference. During the semester, you will meet weekly with the group to provide updates on your progress and solicit feedback from other group members and me.

Communication and Interaction

Communication. All lab members will be asked to install Slack on their computers and will receive an invitation to join the official lab Slack team. Slack provides a basis for rapid individual and group communication on research and lab-related matters. Slack is the most effective way to get immediate feedback about your project. If I don’t respond within 48 hours, please send a nudge to my email: cbjackson2@wisc.edu.

Lab meetings. Lab meetings will be held once a week. Every semester, you will be responsible for 2-3 presentations. These presentations should contain your overall project goals, divided into sub-aims, data, and timelines for specific experiments completed and planned for the coming weeks. This is a space for all lab members to contribute to troubleshooting and engage in constructive and healthy scientific criticism. Lab agendas are managed on GitHub Projects or Notion.

One-on-one meetings. I will hold weekly one-on-one meetings with every graduate student and postdoc, except when I am traveling or have other commitments I cannot sideline. You should come prepared with organized summaries of the status of your project(s), share data you’ve produced, and outline your next set of planned experiments. Each trainee and I will share a Google Doc to keep track of weekly and long-term goals. We will use this time to troubleshoot and constructively dissect these data and plans. This is also an opportunity to discuss general issues and your career development goals.

Data Management

File storage and backup. Students are responsible for backing up their computer files and data.

Research data. All graduate students and postdocs should install the Box Drive application and receive an invitation to edit the JacksonLab shared Box folder. All students and staff of the University of Wisconsin-Madison receive Box cloud storage at no cost through their university email accounts. The shared folder will be used to store essential lab documents. Do not delete shared folders while your local computer is set to sync, as this will delete data across all devices. Do not use spaces in file names or unnecessarily long or vague file naming systems that obscure contents.

Primary storage folders:

A hard drive on your PC is not backed up, so I strongly suggest that you do not store important items on your hard drive unless you regularly back it up.

Research Infrastructure

I use a range of tools for conducting research. I’ve grouped them below with short descriptions.

Collaboration and Project Management

Data Collection

Data Analysis

Reporting Results

Writing Manuscripts and Posters

Conferences, Journals, and Other Outlets

Our group publishes and engages across venues at the intersection of human-computer interaction, computer-supported cooperative work, social computing, information science, civic technology, public administration, and responsible AI.

Human-Computer Interaction, CSCW, and Participatory Design

Conferences
Journals

Social Computing, Online Communities, Citizen Science, and Collective Intelligence

Conferences
Journals

Information Science and Information Systems

Conferences
Journals

AI Fairness, Responsible AI, and Algorithmic Governance

Conferences
Journals

Civic Technology, Digital Government, Public Administration, and Policy

Conferences
Journals

Other Publication Outlets and Community Venues

Professional Associations