Negotiating Openness: The Politics of Registry Data Infrastructures in Austria

Beschreibung

The governance of registry data infrastructures is shaped by competing interests and institutional ar-
rangements that determine who can access data, under what conditions, and for what purposes. Registry
data refer to systematically collected administrative records maintained by public authorities, covering ar-
eas such as demographics, employment, health, and education. These datasets provide a longitudinal and
comprehensive basis for social and economic research, enabling insights into i.e. socio-economic trends
and policy impacts. While registry data offer rich insights for research, their accessibility is constrained by
legal, bureaucratic, and financial barriers. These constraints are not merely side effects of regulation but
are embedded in the very design and operation of data infrastructures, reflecting broader struggles over
control, privacy, and public accountability.
This contribution critically examines the sociomateriality of Austria’s registry data infrastructure, focusing
on the establishment of the Austrian Micro Data Centre (AMDC) in 2022. The AMDC was introduced to im-
prove access to microdata for accredited researchers, yet fragmented governance, high access costs, and
exclusionary practices persist. These challenges demonstrate how infrastructures do not simply mirror
societal structures but actively shape them (Pelizza 2021), reinforcing particular distributions of power and
exclusion (Jasanoff 2004; Leonelli 2016).
Drawing on interviews with key actors involved in advocacy, policy negotiations, institutional implemen-
tation, and data use, this study situates Austria’s case within broader STS debates on sociomateriality of
infrastructures. It conceptualizes infrastructures as sites of political negotiation and epistemic production
(Pelizza 2019; Ribes & Bowker 2009), illustrating how data access is not merely a technical matter but a
contested issue shaped by institutional priorities and power dynamics.
By examining the Austrian Micro Data Centre, this contribution explores how sociomaterial configurations
enable or constrain equitable and meaningful access to data, addressing central questions: How can we
trace the politics embedded in data infrastructures? What analytical tools help unpack the entanglements
of technological arrangements, institutional policies, and societal norms (Suchman 2007)? Finally, my
analysis highlights the potential of registry data infrastructures to function as public goods, while empha-
sizing the sociomaterial conditions necessary for inclusive and equitable knowledge production. Ensuring
that registry data truly serve the public interest requires different types of openness, like transparency in
documentation, critical assessments of data impacts, and robust governance mechanisms such as ethical
boards and participatory oversight frameworks to foster accountability and responsible data use.

Zeitraum	12 Juni 2025
Ereignistitel	10th STS Italia Conference: Technoscience for Good
Veranstaltungstyp	Konferenz
Ort	Milan, ItalienAuf Karte anzeigen