Research Profile

Portrait of Hiroshi Novak

Hiroshi Novak

Postdoctoral Researcher in Sociology of Knowledge

Short Bio

I am a sociologist of knowledge examining how expertise is produced, circulated, and contested across public institutions and civic groups. Since 2019, I have combined ethnography and discourse analysis with interviews of data officers, community organizers, and regulators. I currently work as a postdoctoral researcher at the Int’l Inst. of Interdisciplinary Development and teach seminars on knowledge infrastructures and public reasoning. Trained in sociology and philosophy of science, I am interested in how people decide what counts as credible knowledge.

Research Interests

  • expertise and public policy
  • knowledge infrastructures
  • civic epistemologies
  • data and algorithm controversies

Short CV

  • 2024–present: Postdoctoral Researcher, Int’l Inst. of Interdisciplinary Development
  • 2022–2024: Research Fellow, Centre for Urban Knowledge Ecologies, Larkspur Institute
  • 2018–2022: Doctoral Researcher, Dept. of Social Inquiry, Westbridge Graduate School
  • 2016–2018: Research Assistant, Observatory for Public Reason, Calderon College

Affiliations

  • Int’l Inst. of Interdisciplinary Development
  • Centre for Urban Knowledge Ecologies, Larkspur Institute

Education

  • PhD, Sociology of Knowledge, Westbridge Graduate School , 2022
  • MA, Philosophy of Science, Larkspur Institute , 2016
  • BA, Sociology, Calderon College , 2014

Teaching

  • Knowledge Infrastructures and Public Decision-Making
  • Sociology of Expertise: Theories and Methods
  • Discourse and Network Analysis of Expertise

Awards

  • Early Career Paper Prize, Journal of Civic Knowledge , 2023
  • Fieldwork Grant, Aurora Society for Social Research , 2021

Publications

  • Novak H., Boundary Objects and City Data: Negotiating Expertise in Municipal Platforms, Journal of Knowledge Societies , 2024.
  • Novak H.; El-Ali S., From Experts to Evidence: How Advisory Panels Translate Uncertainty, Urban Governance Review , 2023.
  • Novak H., Public Readiness: Citizens’ Evaluations of Technical Claims, Proceedings of the Civic Epistemologies Conference , 2022.

Abstract

Project: Epistemic Gatekeeping in Civic Data Infrastructures. City administrations increasingly rely on data platforms to guide decisions, yet the criteria for accepting or rejecting evidence remain opaque. This study analyzes how advisory panels, software tools, and public consultations jointly shape what counts as credible input in urban policy. Using a mixed qualitative design—participant observation in two city data units, 65 interviews, and media/discourse mapping—the project traces the translation of uncertainty into actionable recommendations. Findings indicate that boundary objects (dashboards, guidelines, and pilots) enable cooperation while tacitly excluding certain community knowledges. The study offers a framework for evaluating transparency and accountability in knowledge selection.