Do No Harm Guide: Crafting Equitable Data Narratives

PolicyViz Newsletter #50

Hi all,

Over the last year or so, I’ve been working on the several Do No Harm reports from the Urban Institute. The most recent report—Do No Harm Guide: Crafting Equitable Data Narratives—is a collection of essays from researchers and practitioners from around the country. This guide explores the concept of crafting equitable data narratives. What does equity mean? Who does equity include? What methods do we use to ensure equity in data work? How do we present the data in a way that show the humanity they represent?

Our goal with this guide is to expand the boundaries of what we consider equitable data. Data practitioners often frame their work as definitive: if the data say so, it must be true. But so many assumptions and decisions shape every part of the data collection, analysis, and communication process, leaving some people lumped together and others left out entirely. Interrogating this framing at every point in the process is crucial to promoting data equity.

Key Findings

The authors of the 12 essays in this guide work through how to include equity at every step of the data collection and analysis process. They recommend that data practitioners consider the following:

1.        Community engagement is necessary. Often, data practitioners take their population of interest as subjects and data points, not individuals and people. But not every person has the same history with research, nor do all people need the same protections. Data practitioners should understand who they are working with and what they need.

2.        Who is not included in the data can be just as important as who is. Most equitable data work emphasizes understanding and caring for the people in the study. But for data narratives to truly have an equitable framing, it is just as important to question who is left out and how that exclusion may benefit some groups while disadvantaging others.

3.        Conventional methods may not be the best methods. Just as it is important for data practitioners to understand who they are working with, it is also important for them to question how they are approaching the work. While social sciences tend to emphasize rigorous, randomized studies, these methods may not be the best methods for every situation. Working with community members can help practitioners create more equitable and effective research designs.

By taking time to deeply consider how we frame our data work—the definitions, questions, methods, icons, and word choices—we can create better results. As the field undertakes these new frontiers, data practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and advocates should keep front of mind who they include, how they work, and what they choose to show.

I hope you’ll take a look at this latest entry in the Do No Harm series!

Thanks,

Jon

Podcast: Graphs, Gadgets, and Clarity: Mastering the Art of Scientific Storytelling in Research Presentation with Maarten Boers

In this week’s episode, we delve into the pivotal role of visual clarity in scientific research. Join me and Professor of Clinical Epidemiology Maarten Boers as we discuss his new book, Data Visualization for Biomedical Scientists. If you are at all interested in being a better science communicator—and especially if you are interested in publishing your work in academic journals—this episode is for you! We talk about how Maarten’s book extends beyond the world of biomedical science into good table design, small multiples, and how academic publishing needs to get its act in order.

Things I’m Reading & Watching

Books

• Chart Spark from Alli Torban

• Queer Data Studies from Kellty, Herzig, and Subramaniam

• Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation by Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan

Articles

• Why Are There Gaps in LGBTQ+ Homeownership? from the Urban Institute

• Input Visualization: Collecting and Modifying Data with Visual

  Representations from Bressa et al.

TV, Movies, Music, and Miscellaneous

• New Pearl Jam album comes out in April!

• New Nayan album

Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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