Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics
Supporting information and technology practices and policies that break down barriers.
Research Projects
Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law and Society (TRAILS)
Principal Investigator(s): Katie Shilton
Funder: National Science Foundation
Research Areas: Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics > Machine Learning, AI, Computational Linguistics, and Information Retrieval
The TRAILS (Trustworthy AI in Law and Society) Institute, a collaboration among several universities, aims to enhance trust in AI systems. It focuses on community participation, transparent design, and best practices. Four key research thrusts address social values, technical design, socio-technical perceptions, and governance. The institute seeks to include historically marginalized communities and promote informed AI adoption.
Principal Investigator(s): Katie Shilton
Funder: National Science Foundation
Research Areas: Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics > Machine Learning, AI, Computational Linguistics, and Information Retrieval
The TRAILS (Trustworthy AI in Law and Society) Institute, a collaboration among several universities, aims to enhance trust in AI systems. It focuses on community participation, transparent design, and best practices. Four key research thrusts address social values, technical design, socio-technical perceptions, and governance. The institute seeks to include historically marginalized communities and promote informed AI adoption.
Maryland Institute for Digital Accessibility (MIDA)
Principal Investigator(s): Jonathan Lazar Paul T. Jaeger J. Bern Jordan Galina Madjaroff Reitz Katherine Izsak
Funder: State of MD
Research Areas: Accessibility and Inclusive Design > Human-Computer Interaction > Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics
Principal Investigator(s): Jonathan Lazar Paul T. Jaeger J. Bern Jordan Galina Madjaroff Reitz Katherine Izsak
Funder: State of MD
Research Areas: Accessibility and Inclusive Design > Human-Computer Interaction > Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics
Investigating the Information Practices of COVID Long-Haulers
Principal Investigator(s): Beth St. Jean Twanna Hodge Jane Behre J. Nicole Miller Miranda Downey
Funder: State of MD
Research Areas: Health Informatics > Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics > Library and Information Science
This project investigates the information needs, practices, and experiences of people who have long COVID ("COVID long-haulers") in order to learn more about their COVID-related information needs, the ways in which they have gone about fulfilling these needs, and their information-related experiences. W
Principal Investigator(s): Beth St. Jean Twanna Hodge Jane Behre J. Nicole Miller Miranda Downey
Funder: State of MD
Research Areas: Health Informatics > Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics > Library and Information Science
This project investigates the information needs, practices, and experiences of people who have long COVID ("COVID long-haulers") in order to learn more about their COVID-related information needs, the ways in which they have gone about fulfilling these needs, and their information-related experiences. W
Faculty
Recent News

Photo licensed by Adobe Stock via Ekaterina
News Release: With AI Common on Campus, Some Educators Are Leaning in (ft. Katie Shilton)
INFO’s Katie Shilton emphasizes AI tutors’ promise without replacing human teaching
From leveraging AI for pedestrian safety to creating better touchscreen kiosks, the Maryland Initiative for Digital Accessibility brings together scientists across campus to transform existing and emerging tech for people with disabilities. (Illustration by iStock) Photo via Maryland Today.
Maryland Today: Making Tech Accessible—With Benefits for All
INFO faculty lead groundbreaking research to make kiosks, PDFs, AI, and everyday technologies accessible for all
A UMD student became the first to digitize a little-known letter between Founding Fathers George Mason, left, and George Washington, while working as a digital archives fellow at Gunston Hall. Letters courtesy of the Board of Regents of Gunston Hall; portraits via Wikimedia Commons. Photo via Maryland Today.