Call for Participation
Synthetic Data: Representation and/vs Representativeness
Full-day, onsite workshop at Aarhus 2025 Computing [X] Crisis Conference
Organized by:
- Hannah Devinney (Linköping University)
- Katherine Harrison (Linköping University)
- Vagrant Gautam (Saarland University)
- Irina Shklovski (University of Copenhagen, Linköping University)
Synthetic data promises to address three key concerns for data-driven technologies: sparsity, privacy, and bias or lack of diversity. This workshop will interrogate the promise of creating better, more diverse, more representative datasets, by critically examining how data are understood to be “representative” in different senses, for example, statistically, through stereotype, or more qualitative and individual depictions of identity and other qualities.
We invite participation from anyone interested in the broad questions of what it means to “represent” things and people in data. To ground the event across our various disciplines and practices, we ask you to submit a short (1-2 page) position statement on the topic of data “representation” in your context.
Accepted submissions will be shared with all participants via the workshop website before the event, allowing participants to introduce themselves to each other and for asynchronous discussions of their position papers and virtual network building from the start.
Important Dates
Submissions due – 28 May, 2025
Notification of Acceptance – 13 June, 2025
Workshop – 18 or 19 August, 2025 (TBC)
Submission information
Submissions should be 1-2 A4 pages, not including references. We welcome alternative formats, such as artistic works, design fictions, or policy statements. Please contact us to discuss how best to submit alternative formats. Submit position papers via email to synthetic-data-workshop@protonmail.com, following the template below:
SUBJECT LINE: Aarhus2025 Synthetic Data Represent – Submissions
BODY:
Name – [name]
Affiliation – [affiliation]
Pronouns – [Optionally, specify which pronouns you would like organizers to use for you when discussing your submission]
Other information – [Optionally, include anything else you would like organizers to know, for example accessibility requirements]