Welcome to our podcast series, offering essential, data-driven analysis and insight about how digital technologies are transforming work from the Digit Data Observatory. 
 
The Digit Data Observatory is part of the ESRC-funded Digital Futures at Work Research Centre (Digit).  Digit’s research is exploring how digital technologies are changing work and the impact on employers, workers and their representatives, job seekers and governments. 

The centre is co-directed by Professor Jacqueline O’Reilly (The University of Sussex Business School) and Professor Mark Stuart (Leeds University Business School). Additional partners include the Universities of Aberdeen, Cambridge and Manchester in the UK and Monash in Australia.

Digit Data Observatory series

In this introductory episode of the Data Observatory podcast series, Professor Chris Forde (Leeds University Business School) and Dr Emma Russell (University of Sussex) talk about the ESRC-funded Digital Futures at Work (Digit) Research Centre and its main research themes, what the Data Observatory is for, and how it can benefit other researchers, policymakers and wider society. 

Visit the Digit Data Observatory. https://digit-research.org/data-observatory/do-overview/

Digit is jointly led by the Universities of Sussex and Leeds Business Schools with partners from Aberdeen, Cambridge, Manchester and Monash Universities. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). 

This podcast episode was recorded remotely in May 2022. If you would like to get in touch regarding this podcast, please contact  research.lubs@leeds.ac.uk. A transcript of this episode is available.   
 
About the speakers: Chris Forde is Professor of Employment Studies and Co-Director of the Centre of Employment Relations Innovation and Change at the University of Leeds, and co-ordinator of the Q Step Programme at the University of Leeds, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and the ESRC. He is also Deputy Director of Digit and co-lead of the Digit Data Observatory. His principal research interest is in temporary agency working, but he also conducts research into migration. 

Dr Emma Russell is a Chartered and Registered Occupational Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sussex, in addition to being the co-lead of the Data Observatory. Her research focuses on how people manage their e-communications (specifically email) and how this impacts and is impacted by well-being, goal achievement and personality.

Introducing the Digit Data Observatory

The danger of making assumptions about digital equality based on binary digital inclusion data.

Professor Chris Forde (Leeds University Business School) speaks to Dr Becky Faith and Kevin Hernandez (Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex) about their research on digital inequalities. They discuss the problematic assumption that most people now have access, and the right skills, to use the internet and why we need better data to understand the nature of digital exclusion. 

This is part of a special series of podcasts in conjunction with the Digit Data Observatory, part of the Digital Futures at Work Research Centre.  

Read the Data Commentary. https://digit-research.org/data_commentaries/measuring-digital-exclusion/

Visit the Digit Data Observatory. https://digit-research.org/data-observatory/do-overview/

The Digital Futures at Work Research Centre (Digit) is jointly led by the Universities of Sussex and Leeds Business Schools with partners from Aberdeen, Cambridge, Manchester and Monash Universities. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). 
This podcast episode was recorded remotely in June 2022. If you would like to get in touch regarding this podcast, please contact  research.lubs@leeds.ac.uk. A transcript of this episode is available.   
 
About the speakers: 

Chris Forde is Professor of Employment Studies and Co-Director of the Centre of Employment Relations Innovation and Change at the University of Leeds, and co-ordinator of the Q Step Programme at the University of Leeds, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and the ESRC. He is also Deputy Director of Digit and co-lead of the Digit Data Observatory. His principal research interest is in temporary agency working, but he also conducts research into migration. 

Becky Faith is a Research Fellow and Co-Leader of Digit Research Track 4 ‘Reconnecting the disconnected: new channels of voice and representation’. Her professional experience and research interests encompass gender and technology, mobile communication studies, human computer interaction and technology for social change. 

Kevin Hernandez is a Research Officer at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and a Researcher working on Digit Research Theme 4 ‘Reconnecting the disconnected: new channels of voice and representation’. His research interests include digital inequalities, sustainable development, and political economy of automation.

The danger of making assumptions about digital equality

Leeds University Business School’s Research and Innovation podcast brings you insights from our expert researchers. From the future of work, to disruptive technologies; green behaviours to emerging markets, we’ll be covering a wide-range of topical issues and novel ideas. 

Listen to the podcast to find out more about our research and how it’s inspiring business managers, informing policymakers and influencing society.

If you have any comments regarding any of these episodes, please contact research.lubs@leeds.ac.uk.