Madeline (Mads) Kelly (she/her) is a Master of Philosophy candidate at the University of Queensland node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making & Society (ADM+S). Mads is based in Melbourne on the lands of the Wurundjeri people.

Mads is interested in better understanding how the technology that underpins automation and decision-making functions, and looks forward to sharing the knowledge and opportunities the ADM+S centre has to offer in this regard.

In her research, Mads will evaluate the impacts of a digital tool for FOI document review designed by an ADM+S team in collaboration with welfare rights advocates in the community legal sector.

With a background in both high-volume FOI reviews and the community legal sector, Mads will draw on her industry experience to inform her evaluation.

An interdisciplinary approach has been central to her academic and professional experiences. She holds a Bachelor of Science/Law and has worked in an innovative Health-Justice partnership, as well as with information regulatory colleagues across FOI, privacy, and information security. This approach is reflected in her current project, which involves collaborators and a supervisory team spanning multiple disciplines.

Masters Project
A Happy Medium? Exploring the use of a mindfully designed digital tool for welfare advocates

Research Description
This project will evaluate the effectiveness of an automated data extraction tool (the tool) co-designed by an ADM+S project team with specialist welfare rights Community Legal Centres (CLCs). The tool will aim to assist in the review of high volume Freedom of Information (FOI) document releases and I will evaluate the extent to which this occurs.

She will use an ethnographic approach supported by my own lived experience and by volunteering as a lawyer within the CLCs prior to data collection from the CLCs.

She will collect quantitative data to compare the time taken to review the FOI documents manually with the time taken with the automated tool. Madeline will also explore the usability of the tool, how it fits into the workflow of the CLC, and any barriers to use through field notes, interviews and focus groups.

Supervisors
Prof Paul Henman, UQ