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 the group is to contribute knowledge about how users behave in social computing systems and to improve users’ experiences through theory-based design. The group includes 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 social computing platforms, especially citizen science projects. The group uses qualitative methods such as interviews and quantitative approaches including system log data analysis and machine learning to model and enhance user behavior, learning, and motivation. The goal is to develop insights that inform better system design and foster effective collaboration and sustained engagement.

Key research questions include:

  • How do user contributions evolve as they become more engaged in social computing platforms?
  • What role do social interactions on these platforms play in sustaining long-term user engagement and knowledge sharing?

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Ethics

The group’s 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 socio-technical audits and legislative analyses examining how AI policies are formulated and implemented across different states. The group works with policymakers, data scientists, and community members to bridge technical potential and ethical application. Methods include content analysis of legislative documents, stakeholder interviews, and scenario-based evaluations of AI decision-making.

Key research questions include:

  • How can AI systems be audited effectively to identify and mitigate biases?
  • What legislative and organizational practices can help ensure that AI deployments are socially responsible and technically robust?

As a research advisor, Jackson aims to prepare students to become independent thinkers capable of conducting independent research. This includes developing research questions from literature or emergent phenomena, designing research plans, executing studies, 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

Jackson seeks to work with students who are curious about how technology transforms society. The research group’s mission centers on advancing knowledge and creating practical solutions that positively affect individuals and society. The group values collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking, with particular attention to human-technology interaction and to designing experiences that are intuitive, efficient, and inclusive. Its research brings together diverse perspectives and skill sets to address complex problems from multiple angles. Creativity, curiosity, and a commitment to extending knowledge are central expectations for group members.

Joining the Research Group

Certifications. All students must complete online training in Responsible Conduct of Research and Human Subjects research through CITI. For most research projects, the Social and Behavioral Science modules are sufficient. The training should take one to two hours to complete. Students should email completed certifications to cbjackson2@wisc.edu.

Meetings. Jackson meets one-on-one with students at the beginning of each semester to set expectations for the semester’s work. These conversations generally identify goals such as learning new data-analysis skills or publishing a conference paper. During the semester, students meet weekly with the group to provide progress updates and solicit feedback from Jackson and other group members.

Communication and Interaction

Communication. All lab members are asked to install Slack and join the official lab Slack team. Slack supports rapid individual and group communication on research and lab-related matters and is the preferred channel for immediate project feedback. If Jackson does not respond within 48 hours, students may send an email reminder to cbjackson2@wisc.edu.

Lab meetings. Lab meetings are held once a week. Each semester, students are generally responsible for two to three presentations covering overall project goals, sub-aims, data, completed work, and planned work. Lab meetings are a space for troubleshooting and constructive scientific criticism. Agendas are managed through GitHub Projects or Notion.

One-on-one meetings. Jackson holds weekly one-on-one meetings with graduate students and postdocs except during travel or other unavoidable commitments. Trainees should arrive with organized summaries of project status, recent data or outputs, and planned next steps. Each trainee shares a Google Doc with Jackson to track weekly and long-term goals. These meetings are used for troubleshooting, interpretation, planning, general concerns, and career development.

Data Management

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

Research data. Graduate students and postdocs should install Box Drive and obtain access to the JacksonLab shared Box folder. University of Wisconsin-Madison students and staff receive Box cloud storage through their university accounts. The shared folder stores essential lab documents. Shared folders should not be deleted while local computers are set to sync because doing so can delete data across devices. File names should avoid spaces and unnecessarily long or vague naming conventions.

Primary storage folders:

  • GitHub (madcollab-jrg). Code used or shared by the group should be stored in the lab repository. Students unfamiliar with Git and GitHub should review introductory learning resources.
  • Box - University of Wisconsin. Box is backed up automatically and is used for final results and shared project materials. Each student has a folder with their name.
  • Research Drive. Research Drive is backed up automatically and provides additional storage for data files. Students should send Jackson their NetID when access to the lab space is needed.

A local hard drive is not considered a sufficient backup location. Important materials should be stored in an approved backed-up location.

Research Infrastructure

The group uses a range of tools for conducting research.

Collaboration and Project Management

  • GitHub Projects
  • Miro

Data Collection

  • Figma - a free vector graphics editor and prototyping tool
  • Miro - virtual collaboration tools
  • Qualtrics - a survey platform

Data Analysis

  • RStudio, RStudio Server, and RStudio Connect
  • Python
  • NVivo

Reporting Results

  • RMarkdown
  • Jupyter Notebooks

Writing Manuscripts and Posters

  • Google Docs
  • Overleaf - most conference and journal publications use an online LaTeX editor for camera-ready manuscripts.

Conferences, Journals, and Other Outlets

The 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

  • Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • Citizen Science Association (CSA)