Research roundup: iSchool faculty publish studies in human-computer interaction and information ethics

April 30, 2025

L to R: Assistant Professors Jacob Thebault-Spieker, Adam Rule, and Corey Jackson

Information School faculty and graduate students conduct research across a broad range of interrelated fields. Some recent publications by iSchool scholars have come in the domains of human-computer interaction, information ethics, and health informatics. As technology continues to shape individuals and societies in profound ways, research at the intersection of information, technology, and people will play a crucial role in understanding and addressing the opportunities and challenges impacting us all. Below you will find a curated selection of recent publications by our faculty and graduate students at conferences and in journals across disciplines. Assistant Professor Corey Jackson and several co-authors presented research at the annual Conference on Computer-supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) in Costa Rica on how language used by participants in citizen science projects can evolve. Their research on “lexical entrainment” shows that as volunteers engage, their language adapts, fostering deeper integration and collaboration. PhD student Ellie Jeong, with Jackson, also presented a paper at CSCW entitled “How Personal Value Orientations Influence on Behaviors in Digital Citizen Science.” The study examined how personal values influence people’s motivations, participation styles, and interpretations of their contributions within citizen science platforms. These insights help illuminate how social dynamics and individual values shape participation in social computing systems, offering design implications for creating more engaging platforms aligned with users’ values. Assistant Professor Jacob Thebault-Spieker co-authored two studies presented at CSCW with PhD students Yaxian Yin and Zihan Gao. With Yin, one paper examined microtasking by users in collaborative platforms like OpenStreetMap, finding it boosts efficiency but reinforces contribution inequality. With Gao, another study analyzed how influential users migrate after social media bans, revealing shifts in online discourse and potential harm. These insights can help refine moderation policies and crowdsourcing systems. Assistant Professor Adam Rule and co-authors published two articles on the promise and pitfalls of using Electronic Health Record (EHR) metadata to improve healthcare delivery. In the Journal of Medical Internet Research, Rule and co-authors presented a novel framework demonstrating how EHR metadata can be used to study teamwork, workflow, and cognitive workload in clinical environments. In a second article published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine, Rule and a clinical co-author cautioned that any effort to use EHR metadata to measure care delivery should engage clinicians to help interpret and act on the data. Professor Alan Rubel and PhD student Martin Kaehrle published a new article in the journal Philosophy & Technology on the ethical implications of sharing wildlife location data. Using Snowy Owls as a case study, they argue that digital platforms should restrict information that could endanger animals or ecosystems, balancing public interest with ethical responsibilities. This work gained media attention, with Wisconsin Public Radio covering the research in the context of Snowy Owls migrating through Wisconsin. These studies demonstrate the iSchool’s commitment to tackling pressing challenges through interdisciplinary research, shaping more effective and inclusive digital environments.