Redefining truth and inclusivity: Navigating data ownership and ethical research in the age of disinformation
Summary
Our understanding of truth is being reshaped. This challenge deepens when considering how truth intersects with shifting views on data ownership, knowledge extraction, and inclusivity. Researchers must respect participants' ownership of their narratives and foster intersectional inclusivity to uncover more equitable truths. This discussion explores practical strategies for understanding what equitable truth means in a world of disinformation, where both participants and researchers are increasingly questioning the meaning of true inclusivity in our field.
Key Insights
-
•
Disinformation thrives on social media algorithms that prioritize engagement over accuracy, exacerbating distrust in research participants.
-
•
AI-generated misleading content and deepfakes pose new challenges by eroding public trust and entrenching biases in digital products.
-
•
Extractive research practices harm marginalized communities and contribute to widespread mistrust toward organizations.
-
•
Declaring positionality helps researchers reflect on how their own identities influence their work and decisions.
-
•
An equity pause is an effective reflective practice to identify biases and knowledge gaps before making research or design decisions.
-
•
Community-based partnerships and participatory co-design are essential for authentic engagement with vulnerable populations.
-
•
Packaging equity-centered research in the language of business metrics and risk mitigation can increase stakeholder buy-in.
-
•
Authentic transparency with participants, including sharing case studies and knowledge, builds lasting trust and ownership.
-
•
Recruiting participants from marginalized communities requires intentional effort to avoid shallow or unrepresentative insights.
-
•
Sustainable progress in ethical research demands courage, community support, and picking strategic battles within organizations.
Notable Quotes
"Our understanding of truth is being reshaped due to the rise of disinformation."
"Researchers must respect participants' ownership of their own narratives and foster intersectional inclusivity."
"Many stakeholders blur fact and opinion, making it harder to influence with sound research insights."
"Social media algorithms prioritize engagement over accuracy, exacerbating echo chambers and polarizing discourse."
"AI tools generate convincing yet potentially misleading content at scale, eroding public trust."
"Instagram's creation of AI influencers co-opted queer and Black identities, essentially digital blackface."
"One of the most important parts of any successful research study is your research sample."
"If you target the right audience but can’t recruit them, you fail to capture the community’s true problems."
"The equity pause helps you recognize what biases might be present before making decisions impacting lives."
"It takes courage to push back against dominant culture and present dissenting opinions in organizations."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Far too often security fails because we forget people are involved."
Jeff SussnaWhat DesignOps Can Learn From DevOps
November 6, 2017
"Researchers are in the sense making business—they connect the present to the future, step by step, helping users get what they need."
Dana ChisnellThe Sensemaking Business
March 10, 2026
"Dark mode started off as an accessibility feature for visual challenges and eventually became mainstream because it’s so valuable for everyone."
Sam ProulxAccessibility: An Opportunity to Innovate
June 8, 2022
"Systems thinking is a mindset that extends your perspective beyond the immediate problem to see interconnections and consequences."
Sheryl Cababa Alexis OhThinking in systems to address climate with Sheryl Cababa
June 12, 2024
"Design operations maturity has levels: defined process, scaling practices, and finally automation investment."
Farid SabitovAutomatization for Large Enterprise Teams
January 8, 2024
"When designers describe their problem, they often describe a pain point, but you have to enter the user’s actual task."
Joerg Beringer Thomas GeisScaling User Research with AI: Continuous Discovery of User Needs in Minutes
September 10, 2025
"What if flying was as easy as driving a car? That was our main question designing user interfaces."
Teresa SwinglerLook, Up in the Sky! UX/UI for Aerospace
October 27, 2022
"Some of the most important decisions for service design happen on whiteboards among engineers, often without service design representation."
John CutlerOxbows, Rivers, and Estuaries: How to navigate the currents of change (without burning out)
December 3, 2024
"Collaboration with peers and speaker coaches creates better content and stronger relationships beyond the conference."
Louis Rosenfeld Jemma Ahmed Christian Crumlish Uday Gajendar Chris GeisonCoffee with Lou #3: What Makes for a Successful UX Conference Presentation?
May 2, 2024
