While updating my ASA traveling course–Modern Ethical Issues and Best Practices in Data, Analytics, and AI–I came across a world map showing all the battles listed in Wikipedia. The bias is clear. There is a strong concentration in Europe and eastern North America that leaves much of the world underrepresented. But it’s more than a map of bias in documents people post online; it also holds a mirror to an aspect of the digital divide in which data, computing power, and analytic resources are distributed unevenly.
The digital divide creates a world of Haves and Have Nots, where people most in need of the power of advanced analytics often have limited access.
Another good way to look at the digital divide is to look at economic disparities captured by the economic Gini Index at country level. Oxfam, an outstanding global organization fighting poverty, published an excellent overview of global income and wealth inequality. The uneven abundance of every kind of resource affects data and analytics, as well, creating the digital divide. Addressing this problem has been identified as a Data for Good Top Challenge for 2025.
One important way Data for Good advocates are having a major impact is through open-source data. Historically, US federal government websites provided a tremendous amount of open-source data on a variety of subjects. Recently, however, that role has been diminished by policy changes and staff reductions. Increasingly, this role is being taken over by D4G advocacy teams and individuals. The Data Rescue Project, for example, has been at the forefront of preserving valuable data in all areas and making sure it stays available for all. The project needs volunteers with subject matter expertise to help find and archive data that is most important and faces the highest risk of going dark.
Many rescued data sets are landing on free digital public libraries such as the Internet Archive. Industry organizations are also getting involved, preserving the data most important to their area of activity. A great example of this is the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis, which has been archiving economic data for decades on their FRED website. Often, the data there is in a much easier-to-use format than federal or other data sources, making it my go-to site for economic data supporting D4G projects. Since 1991, FRED has been showing the way to overcome the digital divide by making important data available to all.
Of course, open-source analytic platforms also play an important role in bridging the digital divide. This makes it important to learn about open-source licenses so you can find the one that meets your interests and requirements. The GNU Affero General Public License is one popular way to open-source code, so be sure to check that out. Writing code in an open-source language and sharing the code goes far beyond the specific paper, presentation, or program because it can teach others important analytic methods—with the source code–at little to no cost.
Collaborating with people who have less access to resources is another way to get involved. While tools, software, and computing power can be limited in some areas and for some communities, the wide availability of email supports partnerships with talented researchers on the other side of the growing digital divide. Partnerships can be across the globe or in your home community. Data for Good projects with researchers across the digital divide provide the resources needed to maximize impact while developing new relationships, ideas, strategies, and analytical techniques.
Through sharing data, preserving data at risk, open sourcing our code, and partnering with others in need of resources, we can bridge the digital divide to make a difference with Data for Good!
Getting Involved
This month will see many of us at the Joint Statistical Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee, so it is a good time to think about digital connections. Additionally, many useful resources and inspiring comments can be found on LinkedIn. Check out the ASA’s page, as well as the people who post and are cross posted there for inspiration and resources for your next D4G project. I also want to give a shout out to the Data Foundation, which has been doing a great job at keeping people informed about the many changes in the federal data landscape. The team members, led by Nick Hart, have been great advocates for federal data and helping people use it for good causes for many years now.
David Corliss
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.
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