Welcome to IRL! We work towards keeping our networked spaces awesome for everyone.
Directed by Dr. Casey Fiesler and based in the Information Science Department at University of Colorado Boulder, this research lab focuses on the intersection of technology and governance. Our work includes elements of ethics, inclusivity, social justice, education, and in general working towards making our technologies and networked spaces better for everyone.
Check out some of our research areas!
Technology Ethics
A major focus of our research is technology and information ethics. Current areas of focus include research ethics for social computing and data science, including with/for vulnerable groups; and ethics education for technologists, particularly integrated throughout university classes.
Online Governance
Much of our work involves various components of governance and interaction in online communities - including the role of policy, community rules and content moderation, and social norms. Specific platforms we have examined include Reddit, Facebook, and Discord.
Online Fandom
One frequent domain for our research is online communities for transformative fandom, touching on other topics like norms, ethics and privacy, designing for inclusivity, LGBTQ+ support and representation, learning, and broadening participation in computing.