How can we tackle social issues with large data?
Raaid Kazi, the Global People’s Summit Research and Data Lead, outlines some of the ways you can become more confident in using large data for research.
Information and large datasets are easily accessible to us today. Numerous organizations, governments, non-profit organizations and socially conscious companies are investing in research and data collection to ensure data transparency.
Lately, large datasets have become more prevalent in the public sector. With the introduction of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), many government sectors and municipalities have taken measures to make data easily available. This has allowed residents, companies, researchers and socially conscious organizations access to data on topics ranging from immigration patterns to economic growth. Many regions across the world have published statistics on a variety of topics, themes that are in sync with 2030 SDGs. For example, The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa has developed a statistical report on the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa, which focuses on all 17 SDGs, and how to bring forward a change in social development by 2030.
Despite this advancement, we continue to struggle and face many challenges when it comes to using large data sets to bring about social change.
A lot of data today associated with social issues is often unstructured, which can be problematic. Data governance benchmarks are often insufficient, data curation and acquisition can be inconsistent, which can in turn make it difficult for the researcher to convert the data for analysis.
As a researcher, it can be overwhelming with the amount of information available out there.
How can you deal with the all the data and make it actionable?
Evaluate your sources — Ensure all the information gathered is from reputable organizations and government sources. Academic websites, United Nation organizations, NGOs and government agencies are a great place to start your research.
Establish a timeline for your data and statistics for relevancy — If your research’s purpose is to make a social change today, you will require the latest data sets.
Ground yourself and narrow down the research topic — Factors to consider while narrowing down topics can be location, age group, gender, and the social issue itself. Being specific helps a lot while gathering statistics and will help you stay focused.
Listen to the data — One of the biggest challenges is to avoid looking at data with any preconceived notions or ideas of what it will tell you. If you study the data and analyze it thoroughly, it will speak for itself.
Do not be afraid to use large data
Big data is designed for everyone, it is accessible to all for a purpose. Many individuals and organizations feel as though data research ought to be left to experts at research institutions and large organizations. Even though many large organizations have made huge progress in using data towards positive social impact, if we are not using the information that is available to us strategically, we will not be able to make the change that is needed to make this world sustainable and safe.
Whether you are a student or an individual at a sustainable start-up, don’t be afraid to explore and use large datasets to make a social change. We need to think beyond boundaries and borders. While using large sets of data, we need to utilize more interdisciplinary methodologies to bring about social change. Issues today are multidimensional; it is imperative that we approach a social issue from more than one perspective.
Moral of the story, don’t be afraid to explore data out there! Large data sets can seem intimidating. Big data is only useful and shaped by how we use it. If we use all this information correctly, we can help contribute towards the SDGs and accelerate social change.
