Data Tracking in Research: Academic Freedom at Risk?

In recent years, major academic publishers have begun to redesign their business model, shifting from traditional publishing to a data analytics business. Personal and behavioural data of the researches is collected through site tracking, authentication systems and real-time data, allowing the publishers to create detailed profiles of research behaviour, often without sufficient knowledge on the part of researchers and institutions. This lecture illustrates the impact that the tracking of individual researches can have on academic freedom and the right to informational self-determination. It is an appeal to academic institutions to protect sensitive data and engage in the debate on research tracking.