Audience Tools

Specializations

  • History of Information and Computing
  • Science and Technology Studies
  • Crisis Informatics

Research Areas

Biography

Finn is an Affiliate Associate Professor at the University of Washington Information School. She published the monograph, Documenting Aftermath: Information Infrastructures in the Wake of Disasters, about post earthquake communication practices. Her newer projects examine ethical research practices in the field of computer security, and investigate the implications of novel information policies on a transnational scale. She brings together perspectives and approaches from information studies, science and technology studies, and the history of media, information, and communication. Megan has an undergraduate degree in computer science from University of Michigan, completed her PhD at UC Berkeley, and spent time at Microsoft Research New England in Cambridge, MA with the Social Media Collective as a Postdoctoral Researcher.

Education

  • Ph D, University of California, Berkeley, 2012
  • M.I.M.S., Information Management and Systems, University of California, Berkeley, 2005
  • BS, Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2000

Publications and Contributions

  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Ethics Governance-in-the-Making: Bridging Ethics Work and Governance in the Menlo Report (2023)
    Social Studies of Science Authors: Megan Finn, Katie Shilton
  • Conference Paper
    Evaluating Tools for Data Management Plans: A Comparative Study of the DART Rubric and the Belmont Scorecard (2023)
    iConference Authors: Sarika Sharma, Arlo Obregon, Zahir Shaikh, Yubing Tian, Megan Finn, Amelia Acker
  • Oral history
    Brian Atwater Interview Transcript (2022)
    Oral History Collection: Coastal Hazards Planning in Time, OHC732, University of Washington, Special Collections Authors: Lan Thi Nguyễn, Yubing Tian, Megan Finn, Carrie Garrison-Laney
  • Published research instrument
    Coastal Hazards Planning in Time: Evolution of Cascadia Subduction Zone Sciences (2022)
    Coastal Hazards Planning in Time: Evolution of Cascadia Subduction Zone Sciences Authors: Yubing Tian, Lan Nguyen, Ann Bostrom, Megan Finn, Dan Abramson, Bo Zhao
  • Report
    Fostering Responsible Computing Research: Foundations and Practices (2022)
    Authors: Barbara Grosz, Mark Ackerman, Steve Bellovin, Mariano-Florentino Cuellar, David Danks, Megan Finn, Mary L. Gray, John. L. Hennessy, Ayanna M. Howard, Jon M. Kleinberg, Seth Lazar, James Mickens, Amanda Stent
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Generating practices: Investigations into the double embedding of GDPR and data access policies (2022)
    Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) Authors: Justin Petelka, Megan Finn, Elisa Oreglia, Janaki Srinivasan
  • Conference Abstract
    Planning Times: Forecasting Future Access in Scientific Data Practices (2022)
    Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S) Authors: Sarika Sharma, Yubing Tian, Amelia Acker, Megan Finn
  • Conference Paper
    Principles Matter: Integrating an Ethics Intervention into a Computer Security Course (2022)
    Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE), pp. 474-480 Authors: Justin Petelka, Megan Finn, Katie Shilton, Franzi Roesner
  • Oral history
    Ruth Ludwin Interview Transcript (2022)
    Oral History Collection: Coastal Hazards Planning in Time, OHC730, University of Washington, Special Collections Authors: Lan Thi Nguyễn, Yubing Tian, Megan Finn
  • Conference Abstract
    Sharing, Friction, and Synthesis: Evidence from Cascadia Subduction Zone research (2022)
    National Hazards Workshop 2022 Researchers Meeting Authors: Yubing Tian, Lan Nguyen, Megan Finn
  • Conference Poster
    An Analysis of NSF Data Management Plan Guidelines (2021)
    iConference Authors: Yubing Tian, Ana Bennett, Will Sutherland, Amy Ferguson, Morgan Ford, Jessica Nga-Kei Li, Elizabeth Yarbrough, Megan Finn, Amelia Acker
  • Conference Abstract
    Data Care During Crisis: A Comparative analysis of COVID data infrastructure builders in India and the USA (2021)
    Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S) Authors: Ryan Ellis, Janaki Srinivasan, Megan Finn, Bidisha Chauduri, Stacey Wedlake, , Amelia Acker, Young Rim Kim
  • Conference Abstract
    Global Corporations, National Laws: Data Access Requests in India, USA, and UK (2021)
    Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S) Authors: Justin Petelka, Megan Finn, Elisa Oreglia, Janaki Srinivasan
  • Conference Abstract
    Governing a Discipline: The Ethics Governance Work of the Menlo Report (2021)
    Special Interest Group for Computing, Information, and Society (SIGCIS), part of the Society for the History of Technology (SHOT) Authors: Megan Finn, Katie Shilton
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Heroic Repair: Labor and Disaster (2021)
    Communication, 8(1) Author: Megan Finn
  • Conference Paper
    Pathways to Data: From Plans to Datasets (2021)
    ACM/IEEE Joint Conference on Digital Libraries (JDCL), pp. 254-257 Authors: Ana Bennett, Will Sutherland, Yubing Tian, Megan Finn, Amelia Acker
  • Magazine/Trade Publication
    Shaping Ethical Computing Cultures (2021)
    Communications of the ACM, 64(11), pp. 26-29 Authors: Katie Shilton, Megan Finn, Quinn DuPont
  • Conference Poster
    Writing Security: A Curriculum Intervention for Computer Security Ethics (2021)
    iConference Authors: Justin Petelka, Katie Shilton, Megan Finn
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Anticipatory News Infrastructures: Seeing Journalism's Expectations of Future Publics in its Sociotechnical Systems (2020)
    New Media and Society, 22(8), pp. 1600-1618 Authors: Mike Ananny, Megan Finn
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    From Closed World Discourse to Digital Utopianism: The Changing Face of Responsible Computing at Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (1981-1992) (2020)
    Internet Histories: Digital Technology, Culture and Society, 4(1), pp. 6-31 Authors: Megan Finn, Isaac Quinn Dupont
  • Magazine/Trade Publication
    How the Agendas of Elites Influenced the Design of the Red Cross Registration System (2020)
    The MIT Press Reader Author: Megan Finn
  • Blog Post
    Infrastructure After Disasters (2019)
    Author: Megan Finn
  • Conference Paper
    Troubled Worlds: New Directions in Information Research, Practice and Pedagogy (2019)
    iConference 2019 Blue Sky Papers, pp. 8 Authors: Megan Finn, Daniela Rosner
  • Book, Chapter in Scholarly Book-New
    Information Infrastructure and Resilience in American Disaster Plans (2018)
    The Sociotechnical Constitution of Resilience: A New Perspective in Managing Risk and Disaster, pp. 149-171 Author: Megan Finn
  • Book Review
    Review of "Programmed Inequality: How Britain Discarded Women Technologists and Lost its Edge in Computing" (2018)
    Information and Culture, 53(3/4) Author: Megan Finn
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Imagining the Internet: Special issue introduction (2016)
    Information, Communication, and Society, 19(6) Authors: Megan Finn, B Light
  • Conference Paper
    Information Infrastructure and Resilience in American Disaster Plans (2016)
    The Sociotechnical Constitution of Resilience: Structures, Practices and Epistemologies Workshop Author: Megan Finn
  • Workshop Paper
    Accounting for people post-earthquake (2015)
    History of Data Workshop at Columbia University Author: Megan Finn
  • Conference Poster
    Beyond Information Determinism to Information Orders: A New Framework for Policy (2015)
    iConference 2015 Authors: Morgan Ames, Megan Finn, Janaki Srinivasan
  • Conference Extended Abstract
    Making Twitter Datasets and the “God Eye” of Social Media Research (2015)
    Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S) Authors: Megan Finn, Shawn Walker
  • Conference Extended Abstract
    Public News Bots? Creating Networked News Time in Automated Journalism (2015)
    Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S) Authors: Megan Finn, Mike Ananny
  • Workshop Paper
    Repair in a World of Risk (2015)
    Repair Workshop, Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S) Authors: Megan Finn,
  • Workshop Paper
    The production and circulation of earthquake knowledge in 1868 California (2015)
    Knowledge Infrastructures Workshop, University of Washington Author: Megan Finn
  • Conference Paper
    Seeing with Paper: Government documents and material participation (2014)
    47th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences Authors: Megan Finn, Janaki Srinivasan, Rajesh Srinivasan
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    The limits of crisis data: analytical and ethical challenges of using social and mobile data to understand disasters (2014)
    Authors: Kate Crawford, Megan Finn
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Information Infrastructure and Descriptions of the 1857 Fort Tejon Earthquake (2013)
    Information and Culture: a Journal of History, 48(2) Author: Megan Finn
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    The Limits of Peer Production: Some Reminders from Max Weber for the Network Society (2011)
    New Media & Society, 13(2), pp. 243-259 Authors: Daniel Kreiss, Megan Finn, Fred Turner
  • Journal Article, Professional Journal
    Business Models for Technology in the Developing World: The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (2006)
    California Management Review, 48(3), pp. 48-61 Authors: Megan Finn, Henry Chesbrough, Shane Ahern, Shane Guarrez
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Troubled Worlds: A Course Syllabus about Information Work and the Anthropocene
    Journal of Critical Library and Information Science, 3(1), pp. 1-24 Authors: Megan Finn, Daniela K. Rosner, Suzanne Black, Nathan Cunnignham, Kristin N. Dew, Josephine Hoy, Kevin McCraney, Colin Morgan

Presentations

  • The Long Aftermath of Disaster Data (2023)
    Media as Sociotechnical Systems (MASTS), University of Southern California - Los Angeles, CA
  • Troubled worlds and beyond (2023)
    University of British Columbia - Vancouver, BC, CA
  • Ethics Governance-in-the-Making: Bridging Ethics Work and Governance in the Menlo Report (2022)
    Seminar on People, Computers and Design, Stanford University - Palo Alto, CA
  • Implications of the Emerging Data Sciences for the Interpretive Social Sciences: An Interdisciplinary Workshop (2022)
    Arlington, VA
  • Inconvenient Data (2022)
    Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University - Palo Alto, CA
  • The Long Aftermath of Disaster Data (2022)
    Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University - Palo Alto, CA
  • Data Care During Crisis: A Comparative analysis of COVID data infrastructure builders in India and the USA (2021)
    Society for Social Studies of Science - virtual
  • Earthquakes, Infrastructure, Anthropocene (2020)
    iSchool Colloquium Series - Vancouver, BC
  • Information Infrastructures in Disasters (2020)
    COVIDcall - Virtual
  • Archives and/as Infrastructures for Knowledge and Ignorance (2019)
    Society for the Social Studies of Science - New Orleans, LA
  • Crisis Management and Informatics (2019)
    Jackson School of International Studies, Information School, Women’s Center Lecture Series - Seattle
  • Crisis Management and Informatics Panel (2019)
    Cybersecurity Forum: A Series on Cybersecurity and Technology Futures, University of Washington - Seattle, WA
  • Documenting Aftermath (2019)
    Global Resilience Institute - Boston, MA
  • Practicing Responsible Computing: A Near History (2019)
    Data and Society, New York City - New York, NY
  • Public information infrastructures and inequality after disasters: historical perspectives (2019)
    West Coast Poverty Center, University of Washington - Seattle, WA
  • Responsible Computing Before the Web (2019)
    The web that was: Archives, Traces Reflections - Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • We are all well: a social history of post-earthquake public information infrastructures (2019)
    Science and Technology Studies Colloquium, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI
  • We are all well: a social history of post-earthquake public information infrastructures (2019)
    Communications Colloquium - Seattle, WA
  • We are all well: a social history of post-earthquake public information infrastructures (2019)
    Columbia Communications - New York, NY
  • We are all well: a social history of post-earthquake public information infrastructures (2019)
    University of California Irvine - Irvine, CA
  • We are all well: a social history of post-earthquake public information infrastructures (2019)
    Center for Science, Technology and Society, Drexel University - Philadelphia, PA
  • We are all well: A social history of public information infrastructures after disasters (2019)
    The Information School, Syracuse University - Syracuse, NY
  • Documenting Aftermath: An Author-Meets-Critics Session (2018)
    Center for Advanced Study of Communities and Information, University of Maryland - College Park, MD
  • Ethical Controversies in Computing Security Research (2018)
    International Communications Association (ICA) - Prague, Czech Republic
  • How should engineering professionals respond to the rapid deployment of AI in our society? (2018)
    IEEE 2018 International Symposium on Technology & Society (ISTAS 2018) - Washington, DC
  • Mediating Earthquakes: How Sociotechnical Assemblages Shape Temporal Publics (2018)
    American Studies Association (ASA) - Atlanta, GA
  • We are all well: a social history of postearthquake public information infrastructures (2018)
    Magnitude 9 (M9) - Seattle, WA
  • Adventures in Data Management: Challenges and Key Developments in Collaborative Research (2017)
    Data Management: A Mandated Opportunity, Society for the History of Technology (SHOT) - Philadelphia, PA
  • Assembling Public Time: Data, Bots, and Intersecting Professions (2017)
    Crisis data / data in crisis. International Communication Association (ICA) - San Diego, CA
  • Corporate States of Emergency (2017)
    Crisis Infrastructures and the Politics of Interdependence, Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S) - Boston, MA
  • alt.conference on Big Data (2014)
    Annual meeting, Association of American Geographers - Tampa, FL
  • Changing Publishing Practices in iSchools (2014)
    Annual Conference, iConference - Berlin, Germany
  • Time as Information Infrastructure (2014)
    Association of American Geographers - Tampa, FL
  • Crisis Research and the Limits of Social Media Datasets (2013)
    Association of Internet Researchers - Denver, CO
  • Disaster Response Plans as Material Politics (2013)
    Governing Technology: Material Politics and Hybrid Agencies - Palo Alto, CA
  • Imagined Information Practices: Information determinism and disaster response (2013)
    Society for the Social Study of Science - San Diego, CA
  • Information Orders after the 1906 Earthquake (2013)
    University of North Carolina School of Information and Library Science and School of Journalism - Chapel Hill, NC
  • Post-Disaster Information and Communication Practices: plans and technologies (2013)
    International Association of Media and Communication Researchers - Dublin, Ireland
  • Privacy in the Context of Crisis Information Flows (2013)
    Association of American Geographers - Los Angeles, CA
  • Recognizing Invisible Infrastructure: Data Centers and Hurricane Sandy (2013)
    Association of Internet Researchers - Denver, CO
  • The Challenges of Crisis Data (2013)
    International Association of Media and Communication Researchers - Dublin, Ireland
  • Transparency and its Discontents: Democratic Prospects and Challenges (2013)
    Center for the Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society - Berkeley, CA