Algorithms as Data: A Case Study for Turning Algorithmic User Experiences into Research Data Objects

What if algorithms weren’t the Ghost in the Machine? Can/Should algorithms be understood as part of the open data continuum? Montana State University Library, with grant funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, has conducted research in order to develop software and a curriculum to support the teaching of "Algorithmic Awareness": an understanding around the rules that govern our software and shape our digital experiences. Taking our inspiration from investigative data journalists, like The Markup, we are looking to introduce our research module for algorithm auditing practices using code, web scraping methods, and structured data formats to uncover proprietary algorithms and turn them into research data objects for analysis.