This column is written for those interested in learning about the world of Data for Good, where statistical analysis is dedicated to good causes that benefit our lives, our communities, and our world. If you would like to know more or have ideas for articles, contact David Corliss.
David Corliss is the principal data scientist at Grafham Analytics. He serves on the steering committee for the Conference on Statistical Practice and is the founder of Peace-Work.
The Data for Good community is seeing unprecedented growth in the amount, quality, detail, and availability of data of all kinds. Whether your work is in academia, government, or industry—whether you are an experienced researcher, early-career professional, or student—these new data sources put the power of data around the world in your hands for the benefit of all.
Leveraging global data to the greatest advantage requires understanding the sources, their strengths and weaknesses, and the context in which they were developed. In January, I highlighted the globalization of data as one of the most important challenges—and opportunities—being addressed by D4G scientist-advocates today.
In opportunities this month, the US Census Bureau has released the Justice Outcomes Explorer, which provides statistics and interactive data visualizations on how people have been in contact with the criminal justice system.
Also this month, early-career scientists and their mentors will be interested in the Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists, awarded annually to four young scientists for outstanding life science research based on a doctoral degree earned in the previous two years.
Many data sources for international D4G projects can be found right here in the United States. Federal agencies collect data on population and demographics, economics and international trade, and a host of other subjects. This makes Data.gov one of the best places to look for data supporting international projects. Learning to navigate the site, finding the best data sources for your work, and reading peer-reviewed articles using them will be helpful.
Of course, much of the best international data will be found internationally. Outstanding government statistical agencies with a wide variety of reliable data include Statistics Canada, the UK Data Service, and the European Union’s Eurostat.
National statistical agencies will often provide the most in-depth information about the country’s demographics, economics, industry, education, and public health. At the same time, not all government statistical agencies equal the standard of excellence of those mentioned here. The reliability, and especially the availability, of data from governmental agencies can vary widely—especially for countries with the most severe problems and acute needs.
When looking at a new international data source, the standard best practices for using any data can be applied. Search to see if the resource is cited by peer-reviewed papers. Read leading papers for the sources they use and look for review articles on data sources in respected academic journals. Test the data found in the source for internal consistency and check against numbers reported independently by corroborating sources whose only vested interest is the accuracy of the numbers. Pay close attention to the accuracy of numbers for marginalized groups or regions, which can provide a window into the reliability of the source in general. Applying the same rules for citing any paper will go a long way toward finding the best data for your project.
Remember Data.gov is a data search service, not the source itself. Be sure to bookmark websites with the data you need most and check in regularly for updates.
For United Nations agencies and their data resources, the iLibrary is the place to go. This search engine is the key to data sets from across the UN ecosystem, including data used by UN agencies, support for sustainable development goals, and a wealth of research and analysis using the data.
Another tremendously valuable international data resource is the Open Data project from the Work Bank. It includes country-level information on economics, demographics, and much more.
As an example of how these different data sources can be used together, let me tell you about a current project at Peace-Work, a Data for Good nongovernmental organization. The research is on how human trafficking and forced labor are being used as a weapon of war in Ukraine. A search on the UN-iLibrary for migration data found the World Migration Report and a paper offering guidance for using their longitudinal data. A search at Data.gov identified a country-level list of goods where forced labor and child labor are present. This was matched to country-level data from the World Bank to identify risk factors, which can then be applied to countries involved in the conflict in Ukraine. This example demonstrates how synthesizing data from multiple peer-reviewed data sources can provide critical insight into international D4G projects.
With so many new data sources becoming available every day, there are more opportunities for going global with your next D4G project than ever before. The data heroes of this work are the people working at national and international statistical agencies to compile, test, and make available the data needed for projects that make a real difference. With the ever-growing list of reliable international data sources, there is truly a world of opportunity with Data for Good!
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