ethics book club basics

Processes/R/Sample Book Club FAQs.Rmd

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+---
+title: "Sample FAQs"
+output:     
+    github_document:
+    toc_float: TRUE
+---
+
+```{r setup, include=FALSE}
+knitr::opts_chunk$set(echo = TRUE)
+```
+
+
+### Why are you doing this?
+We think that discussing the ethics and impacts of data science is important, but also, kind of fun? There's a lot of good writing out there and one of the most important principles (even in our own ethical principles for data scientists) is to discuss and debate the ethical questions. We hope this will help people gain the tools they need to think about this in their jobs or in DataKind projects, or in encountering algorithmic tools in their everyday life. But if all you get out of it is some friendly discussion over a coffee or beer, that's also good.
+
+### Do I need to be a data scientist to participate?
+Nope. We'll have a mix of technical and non-technical reading material. The aim is to think about data science in a context of ethical impacts and consequences - and that affects everybody!
+
+### Do I need to be an ethicist to participate?
+Nope. See above. but if you are, we'd love to have you!
+
+### Do I need to read all of that stuff?
+No - the aim is to have different pieces that are of different lengths, not just books but articles, blogs, even videos. Choose what you want!
+
+### Do I need to buy a book?
+Definitely not. We're aiming to find free resources whenever possible, but at most one paid-for thing per session. And we encourage sharing copies around, going to local libraries, etc. We don't encourage pirating, we like authors writing things and want them to get paid for it!
+
+### I don't live in London/can't make it that day. is there an online option?
+We will be hosting an online group alongside the in-person event - if you'd like to join remotely, please select the 'remote bookclub' option from the ticket options. We'll also be live tweeting using the hashtag #DKbookclub and taking comments/questions.
+**AND/OR**: We also have an in-person event in Edinburgh! see [*link*]. 
+
+### I have a brilliant idea for reading material/a theme! Who do I tell?
+We love suggestions! Tell us at [*email*]. 

Processes/R/Sample Facilitator Guide.Rmd

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+---
+title: "Facilitator Guide"
+output: 
+    github_document:
+    toc_float: TRUE
+---
+
+```{r setup, include=FALSE}
+knitr::opts_chunk$set(echo = TRUE)
+```
+
+This can be given to facilitators in advance of the book club as a general help to set expectations etc. We also have specific facilitator prompts for each topic. 
+
+
+### Part 1: Introduction
+
+- Start by welcoming everyone to the session
+- Make sure everyone has snacks, drinks, knows where the loo is, etc.
+- Let everyone know that this is a safe space to explore ideas and opinions. Request that everyone listens actively with a generous and open mind, that they do not interrupt or criticise others, and that they consciously aim to help everyone to speak for roughly equal time.
+- Let everyone know the discussion is under [Chatham house rule](https://www.chathamhouse.org/chatham-house-rule)
+- Explain the schedule for the evening - e.g. divide into groups, break halfway through, mix groups for second half, end by 8:30pm, pub afterwards
+
+
+### Part 2: Group Discussion
+
+- Groups should be no more than 8 people with one facilitator
+- Ask people to introduce themselves - perhaps you could ask everyone to say their names, and one word they would use to sum up the book/article they read or the topic
+- Introduce the book and articles - who read what? (could be a show of hands) - this will give you an idea of what to focus on (e.g. if no one read an article, don't focus on that one)
+- Warm up by reading over the pre-set questions to get people thinking
+- Encourage someone to start with sharing something they found interesting, e.g. an idea, opinion or a quote they liked or didn't like
+- Once people have given their opinions on what was interesting/surprising, move onto the discussion points. Ask people to give their opinions on the topic and how this is reflected/dealt with in the book/article
+- **It's your role to make sure that no one person is dominating the conversation**
+- Let participants know that they are free to move around the room, between groups
+
+
+### Part 3: Wrap-Up
+
+- Summarise some of the most important and/or interesting points which were discussed
+- Thank everyone for their time and contributions
+- Announce the next book club date and topic
+- Check out? If you wanted to, you could do a quick check out and ask people to sum up in one sentence what they are taking away from the discussion
+- Encourage people to give feedback about the book club on how to improve it - they'll be a link to a google form which will get emailed out following the session
+
+
+***
+
+# House Rules
+
+### Chatham house rule
+
+- Participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed
+- Use social media to take the discussion online - but please don't use people's twitter handles (unless they say otherwise)
+
+### Create an inclusive space
+
+- Try and hear from as many people as possible, without letting one person dominate the conversation
+- Make sure to encourage everyone to speak, but don't single people out if they are uncomfortable. If people are shy about contributing, you could ask them 'do you agree with that last point?' rather than 'tell me what you think about the book', which is a broad and potentially intimidating question!
+- Do not criticise any viewpoints - ask more about why they hold that viewpoint, and perhaps say 'personally I see it more like this' but without saying they are wrong. Discourage others from being critical or dismissive of others' opinions
+- Try to smooth over any potential conflict but acknowledging that opinions differ and that there is not a wrong or a right answer in these discussions
+
+### Guide the conversation
+
+- Refer to the list of discussion points to help steer the conversation, but be flexible
+- Sometimes people won't have much to say about points you thought were interesting, while other topics garner a lot of interest and discussion - use the discussion points as a guide but be prepared to ad-lib and dig into new ideas which people want to talk about
+- Try and avoid getting into very specific examples or random anecdotes, which the speaker may find fascinating but which won't resonate for many people, or which don't relate to the topic as a whole. If people start to go down a rabbit hole, don't be afraid to get them back on topic - try a gentle 'that's an interesting point, which we can talk about if we have some more time later, but I'm really interested to know what everyone thought about X'
+
+### Be prepared
+
+- Have some questions ready. Both the general, and the specific.
+- General questions might be:
+  - What did you think about what you read?
+    - What was your favourite idea/passage in the piece?
+    - What did you like least?
+  - Was there anything that shocked or surprised you?
+  - Did this change your perception of data science? Does this change public perception of data science?
+  - What do you think the author was trying to achieve with the book/article?
+  - What were the most important points/topics covered?
+  - Was there anything you disagreed with, or that struck you as controversial?
+  - Pick out a quote from the material/book you found particularly interesting and be prepared to explain why
+  - More ideas [here](https://bookriot.com/2017/08/21/book-club-discussion-questions/)

Processes/R/Sample Hosting Guide.Rmd

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+---
+title: "Book Club Hosting Guide"
+output: 
+    github_document:
+    toc_float: TRUE
+---
+
+```{r setup, include=FALSE}
+knitr::opts_chunk$set(echo = TRUE)
+```
+
+This can help hosts of the book club events - especially useful if you rotate hosts, have multiple locations or online meetings. 
+
+Hosts should also adhere to the Facilitator Guide.
+
+### Welcoming
+
+- Have one or two people at the entrance to welcome people in
+- Ask people to write out a name label, if they so wish. Include pronouns (if you feel comfortable with this!)
+- Let them know when we'll be starting (e.g. 6:30pm doors for 6:45pm start)
+
+### Opening the Event
+
+- Intro to DataKind UK and why we are interested in ethics
+- Welcome from the sponsor (e.g. if being hosted at a company's meeting space)
+- Reminder of the topic and materials
+- Reminder of others: We are running the book club simultaneously with friends in Scotland and online
+- Tell community this is a safe space:
+  + to explore ideas and opinions.
+  + Everyone should listen actively with a **generous and open mind**
+  + do not interrupt or criticise others,
+  + consciously aim to help everyone to speak for roughly equal time
+  + If anyone feels uncomfortable at any time do speak with [**named responsible individual/s **]
+  + Chatham House [rules](https://www.chathamhouse.org/chatham-house-rule)
+- Ask people to get into groups of 6-8
+- Point out the facilitators
+- Ask people to put thoughts on Twitter [**your hashtag here**] but paraphrase what people say if needed, as it is Chatham House
+- There'll be a break in the middle (go round and remind the groups of this at 7:30pm) and give option for people to move groups at this time - or any time if they want to!
+
+### End
+
+- Ask participants if anyone would like to write a blog about the book club around the questions discussed
+- Let everyone know about the next book club
+- No one location, always looking for hosts. if your organisation would like to host a bookclub - et us know
+  + If you would like to facilitate
+  + If you have ideas about future topics
+- We will send out a feedback survey tomorrow.
+- Thanks again to the sponsor

Processes/R/What you need for your book club.Rmd

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+---
+title: "What you need for the book club - processes and planning"
+output: 
+    github_document:
+    toc_float: TRUE
+---
+
+```{r setup, include=FALSE}
+knitr::opts_chunk$set(echo = TRUE)
+```
+
+# Preparation
+
+### Materials
+
+- **Choose whether you want everyone to read the same single piece or have a variety of sources.** 
+DataKind UK's initial plan was three materials (One book, 1 article, 1 paper) connected by an overarching theme which encompasses all three texts (and changes each month). In practice, we found more than three sources most times, and sometimes chose to focus on a single "main" piece. 
+- **Consider access**
+Not everyone wants to buy a book. we made sure some/all materials were free each time, and also made people aware of loans between community members, library use, etc. for books. Some attendees shared a book copy and shared reading duties!
+
+
+### What makes for good materials? 
+
+- Range of lengths
+- Range of technical degrees of difficulty (a news article can be just as revelatory as an academic data science article, and vice versa. This also applies to academic philosophy or sociology articles). 
+- Range of media. We used books, online articles, videos, etc. We also used fiction and poetry as well as reporting. 
+- Range of perspectives. DataKind UK ethics committee made an effort to look beyond what was coming out of US institutions. We didn't always succeed, and would like to cover more of a global perspective in future (looking for writing out of the global South more). Also this can be creative - a review article that quotes a lot of others will work!
+
+### Schedule
+
+- DataKind UK went with approximately every 6 weeks with some tweaking for availability and venues, etc.
+Choose topic for next book club
+Decide timeline for planning next topic, venue, facilitators, materials and publishing event page
+Add to trello Calendar (power up for Trello)
+
+
+### Location
+- **What sort of event is it?**
+  + One location in person only?
+  + Remote only? 
+  + Multiple locations? 
+  + Asynchronous? (e.g. a month-long slack discussion or twitter hashtag)
+
+- **If in-person:**
+  + Who are the hosting venue? If it's a sponsor do due diligence for their reputation, accessibility of the room, inclusivity (are there gender-neutral bathrooms?) etc. 
+  + Will the host expect to speak to attendees about their awesome company and how they're hiring? Set aside time. 
+  + Check on capacity.
+  + Check on entry requirements (Does the building have a real name policy at security? Do people need ID? Do they need to be escorted through security individually so you have to factor in that time?)
+
+- **If remote:**
+  + Decide if via teleconference (and with/without video) or some public/invite-only text service like Slack or twitter. 
+  + Especially relevant for remote events. Are details sent out? have you updated software? are there any limits on time or number of joiners? Do you need video? Do you want to have private subrooms available? 
+
+- **If Asynchronous:**
+  + Can be good to start the discussion with a few internal folk first.
+  + Allocate individuals to days for checking the discussion, moderating, and kick-starting it again if needed. 
+  + DataKind UK hasn't done this one yet. We consider it an option for the future though!
+
+- **Combining Locations:**
+  + This is theoretically possible but having most people in the room and a few on a call and them trying to talk to each other is [**hard**](https://chelseatroy.com/2018/03/29/why-do-remote-meetings-suck-so-much/). It can be unavoidable in work meetings but in a social book club where you're wanting small-group discussions anyway? It's eminently avoidable. 
+  + DataKind UK coped with this by:
+   a) having small group discussions anyway so that even those in the room were split out
+   b) making the remote small group discussion completely separate from the one going on in the room, with its own facilitator and sign-up. 
+   This meant we could have tweeting at the same time and a blog write-up including any discussions that had gone on, but didn't have to bother as much with technology and communications. 
+  + This may be needed if you have an author giving a talk for example, but treat that as a one-off session. 
+
+### Prep for the event
+
+- **Invite people!**
+  + If within your community only, Slack/newsletter/Meetup/in-person spruiking. 
+  + If public, Twitter, open Eventbrite or Meetup events, etc. 
+  + In sufficient time that they can read materials. 
+  + Plan for no-shows. For free public events via platforms like Eventbrite and Meetup we got around 50-70% attendance (varies with weather, public transport outages, etc). For an onsite work event with colleagues and free food, attendance would be higher. 
+- **Create and disseminate any pre-work** 
+  + Do you want people to think about any specific questions in advance or even to discuss them ahead of time? Some book clubs have pre-meeting questions for consideration or set up an active discussion (on Slack for example) before the event. DataKind UK considered but never actually did this (yet!), because of the load on volunteer committee members and because it seemed like many attendees of the book clubs read things at the last minute!
+- **Decide on host/s and ensure enough potential facilitator/s.**
+  + We found that small groups (5-9) were the best size for discussion and allocated facilitators accordingly (allowing for no-shows as above). 
+  + Same host every time? rotating host? choose!
+- **Decide on Designated Tweeter/s (DTs)**
+  + We found that people who are engaged in discussions don't tweet. That's great as it means they're engaged with the actual community around them. However, if you do want to show what's happening and open it up for other perspectives, having 1-2 folk who roam between small groups and tweet what they hear, while taking a less active role in the discussion themselves, is highly recommended. 
+  + At DataKind UK the staff mainly took on the role of Designated Tweeter - not only did they have access to the org twitter account, but it meant they could jump between all the groups and get a sense of multiple discussions! 
+- **Plan snacks**
+  + If at a location. Super important! Snacks help reading clubs [succeed](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/620629). Do try and ensure budget for snacks/drinks, if possible, or ask people to bring something if they can, as an alternative (obviously without any pressure, compulsory food-bringing sounds like a bad idea!). 
+
+
+
+# On the Day
+- **Getting Ready**
+  + Print things. Do you need a list of names to sign people in? Large signs pointing along corridors? Hard copies of facilitator notes? Get those things! 
+  + Get snacks, drinks, cups, nametags and pens. 
+- Use the [Hosting Guide](Sample-Hosting-Guide.md).
+- **During Discussion**
+  + Keep someone monitoring the door for latecomers (and/or the social media for people complaining the teleconferencing link is broken...). 
+  + Make sure Designated Tweeters are tweeting. 
+  + Use the [Facilitator Guide](Sample-Facilitator-Guide.md).
+  + Break for snacks!
+
+- **Ending the Book club**
+  + Do you want to have groups report back to everybody? If so, each small group can nominate a speaker to report e.g. 3 key answers to discussion questions or top interesting debates in their group. 
+  + Announce topic for next book club.
+  + Give people a chance to come to the staff and talk about any discomfort they felt, how to be more inclusive etc. 
+  + It can be useful to have a pub or cafe in mind to gather afterwards for people who want to keep chatting - especially if you're on location in an office and have to be out at a set time. 
+
+
+# After the Book Club
+- **Do you want to build a survey?**
+  + Maybe you want to survey attendees for feedback to improve the book club in the future, or simply to get new ideas for topics or materials. This will need to be designed via one of the many online tools. IF you have consent to contact people, we suggest surveying the next day while people still remember the evening clearly!
+  + And of course have a look at the survey results and decide whether to make changes. 
+- **Summarise and Publicise**
+  + You should have found people interested in blogging at the event or from your team. Plan for deadlines for drafts/comments and edits/publication. 
+  + Publish! 
+  + Improve this repo ;) 
+
+# Longer-Term Planning
+- DataKind UK Ethics Committee used Trello to keep a list of potential book club topics and materials. This helped us plan in advance. 
+- Because we were a volunteer committee, we had book club topics and materials only one event ahead each time. It would be possible to plan an entire syllabus for a year (with flexibility for new articles!) if you wanted to. 
+- It would be possible to do a lot more pre-event work around e.g. discussion groups on Slack for conversations as people read, warm-up questions posted to attendees the week before, summaries of longer works, etc. 
+
+