The Centre for BOLD Cities is thrilled to announce that it has been selected to develop this year's national public research project for the Weekend van de Wetenschap (Science Weekend). In Jouw buurt, jouw data (Your neighbourhood, your data), participants play an online game, in which they show what they know and how they feel about collecting (personal) data in public spaces.
The game
Jouw buurt, jouw data is set up as a 'gamified survey', an innovative research approach that combines low-key gameplay with survey questions that can be used for research. In the game, players go on a 'virtual data walk' in a fictional town. With a combination of questions, assignments and mini games in various parts of this town, players reveal what they know about smart technologies and data collection, while other parts of the game ask participants about their opinions and actions. In doing so, players compose a 'privacy profile', which is shown to them at the end of the game and provides them with feedback on the 'data points' they encountered along the way. Jouw buurt, jouw data therefore contributes to public awareness and data literacy, as well as providing the BOLD Cities research team with valuable information on how the general public perceives the topic of (personal) data collection. This information will be used to conduct further research.
Working together with the Weekend van de Wetenschap offers the Centre a valuable and unique audience across the country. While the Weekend's activities only take place on 6 and 7 October, the game will remain playable throughout the year.
The research game is now available on jouwbuurtjouwdata.nl.
The team
The Centre for BOLD Cities has assembled a dedicated team for setting up this project, consisting of the Centre's academic director Liesbet van Zoonen, Emiel Rijshouwer (Erasmus University), Els Leclercq (TU Delft) and Luuk Schokker (BOLD Cities' executive manager). For illustration and game development, the BOLD Cities team paired up with Rotterdam-based design and technology firm WEAREREASONABLEPEOPLE. The project is co-sponsored by the municipality of Rotterdam.