Differential Data Equity: A Situated Approach to Data Ethics

Participatory research and citizen science increasingly rely on data intensive practices in which participants contribute to the generation, interpretation, and reuse of data. In these contexts, questions of fairness and inclusion are often addressed through the principle of data equity. Yet, data equity is frequently interpreted as the equal treatment of participants within standardized ethical procedures. This paper argues that such interpretations overlook the unequal capacities through which participants engage in data practices. Individuals and communities enter participatory research with different levels of data literacy, institutional power, and access to resources, shaping their ability to understand, question, and influence how data are produced, used, and governed. Drawing on insights from critical data studies, data justice scholarship, feminist STS, and the capabilities approach in differential ethics, the paper introduces the concept of Differential Data Equity as a situated approach to data ethics. Rather than assuming uniform ethical procedures, Differential Data Equity foregrounds the need to address unequal capabilities and positions within participatory data practices. It reframes data equity as an ongoing relational negotiation within research relationships and offers a conceptual lens for developing more inclusive and accountable data governance in participatory research.