Government Data Collection Research Articles

Surveillance capitalism and the surveillance state: a comparative institutional analysis

AbstractWhat is the connection between mass surveillance and institutions of individual agency, freedom, and self-governance? Recent literature on “surveillance capitalism” argues that, over the past two decades, the capitalist Big Tech companies have commodified personal data for profit. This commodification goes beyond gathering information to improve the products provided by the collecting organization directly and entails using data to predict what people will do, the sale of that data, and its use to modify the behaviors of unknowing consumers. According to critics, this erodes individual dignity and freedom while also threatening democracy. This paper offers an alternative framing of surveillance and data collection based on comparative institutional analysis. While data collection and attempts at persuasion are present in private and government settings, the welfare effects vary due to institutional differences. We leverage the comparative institutional framework to analyze the differences between private data collection (“surveillance capitalism”) and government data collection (the “surveillance state”). Our analysis sheds light on how data collection in the private, for-profit sector has different welfare consequences from those in the surveillance state.

Application of citizen science with the nationwide bird census

Citizen science (CS) is the most effective tool for overcoming the limitations of government and/or professional data collection. To compensate for quantitative limitations of the 'Winter Waterbird Census of Korea', we conducted a total of four bird monitoring via CS from 2021 to 2022. To use CS data alongside national data, we studied CS data quality and improvement utilizing (1) digit-based analysis using Benford’s law and (2) comparative analysis with national data. In addition, we performed bird community analysis using CS-specific data, demonstrating the necessity of CS. Neither CS nor the national data adhered to Benford's law. Alpha diversity (number of species and Shannon index) was lower, and total beta diversity was higher for the CS data than national data. Regarding the observed bird community, the number of species per family was similar; however, the number of individuals per family/species differed. We also identified the necessity of CS by confirming the possibility of predicting bird communities using CS-specific data. CS was influenced by various factors, including the perceptions of the survey participants and their level of experience. Therefore, conducting CS after systematic training can facilitate the collection of higher-quality data

Did People Really “Leave It Blank”? A Tale of What Became of the Census Citizenship Question and Allocation Trends Through Time

Abstract The 2020 Decennial Census garnered unprecedented attention due to the proposed reintroduction of the citizenship question by the Trump Administration. The legal imperative to respond to the Census and the sensitive nature of the citizenship question led to tensions and public outrage. This paper discusses the controversy surrounding the addition of the citizenship question and its implications on vulnerable communities, particularly undocumented immigrants and communities of color. Although the citizenship question was ultimately not added to the 2020 Decennial Census, it continued to be asked on the American Community Survey (ACS). We examine how negative public sentiment during this time, in tandem with historical mistrust of government data collection, may have manifested as item non-response within the ACS, specifically on questions relating to citizenship status and, more broadly, the Origin and Language subgroup of questions. The analyses in this paper explore trends in non-response rates from the American Community Survey from 2014 to 2022. Item allocation rates are used as a proxy for non-response to questions relating to citizenship. A variety of data visualization tools, supported by statistical methods, are employed to weave connections between allocation trends and the proposed addition of the citizenship question to the Decennial Census. We aim to bring transparency to this issue to educate and encourage response within vulnerable communities by emphasizing the importance of accurate data collection and positive perceptions of government-issued surveys, which are used to make key legislative decisions and create a more democratic nation.

Analysis of structured and unstructured stakeholders’ motivational support of Ghanaian slum communities

PurposeThis study aims to examine the motivations and supports of stakeholders in the slum communities, Ghana.Design/methodology/approachTwo-stage methodologies were used for data collection. Published Google News articles about the phenomenon as well as exploratory qualitative in-depth interviews with 15 participants.FindingsThe evidence shows that structured and unstructured are the two main categories of stakeholders operating in the space of slums in Ghana. It shows that stakeholders are motivated by their objectives and ethical or moral obligations to provide support in the form of consumables, housing and finance to the slums.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the data collection regime used in this project, findings are specific to the Ghanaian context and not generalisable. However, the results could be beneficial in other contexts with similar slum phenomena.Practical implicationsThe conclusions drawn serve as a springboard for urban managers responsible for slum administration and management to develop policy packages to incentivise and enlist more non-slum stakeholders in the existing stakeholders.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the few that expands the frontiers of the stakeholder model within context to discover specific slum stakeholders, their motivations and support for the slums in a consolidated manner.

Transformasi Ketahanan Wilayah pada Era Digital: Peran Kepemimpinan Digital dalam Membangun Smart City di Kota Pariaman Sumatera Barat

ABSTRACT The digital revolution in public services is a response to the massive development of technology and information systems. The Government of Pariaman City has transformed into a smart city by developing various digital services. This research aims to analyze various digital services in Pariaman City to support the city's strategic leadership and digital leadership. The method used is phenomenology. Data used in this study are derived from literature reviews and observations on various developed applications. Data validation was carried out through triangulating observations, government documents and records, literature studies, member checking, and expert responses. The research results show that the Government of Pariaman City provides digital services in the form of applications/information systems and websites containing information and facilitating public access to public services. The utilization of digital services by the community eases the government's data collection process, including data related to population, economy, security, welfare, disasters, and civil servant performance. These data are used for the development planning of Pariaman City. In the context of regional resilience, Pariaman City can undergo rapid transformation through digitalization approaches. Therefore, the various digital services developed in Pariaman City greatly support the realization of regional resilience through digital leadership.

A generalisation of the aggregate association index (AAI): incorporating a linear transformation of the cells of a 2 × 2 table

The analysis of aggregate, or marginal, data for contingency tables is an increasingly important area of statistics, applied sciences and the social sciences. This is largely due to confidentiality issues arising from the imposition of government and corporate protection and data collection methods. The availability of only aggregate data makes it difficult to draw conclusions about the association between categorical variables at the individual level. For data analysts, this issue is of growing concern, especially for those dealing with the aggregate analysis of a single 2 × 2 table or stratified 2 × 2 tables and lies in the field of ecological inference. As an alternative to ecological inference techniques, one may consider the aggregate association index (AAI) to obtain valuable information about the magnitude and direction of the association between two categorical variables of a single 2 × 2 table or stratified 2 × 2 tables given only the marginal totals. Conventionally, the AAI has been examined by considering p11\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\\mathrm{p}}_{11}$$\\end{document}—the proportion of the sample that lies in the (1, 1)th cell of a given 2 × 2 table. However, the AAI can be expanded for other association indices. Therefore, a new generalisation of the original AAI is given here by reformulating and expanding the index so that it incorporates any linear transformation of p11\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\\mathrm{p}}_{11}$$\\end{document}. This study shall consider the consistency of the AAI under the transformation by examining four classic association indices, namely the independence ratio, Pearson’s ratio, standardised residual and adjusted standardised residual, although others may be incorporated into this general framework. We will show how these indices can be utilised to examine the strength and direction of association given only the marginal totals. Therefore, this work enhances our understanding of the AAI and establishes its links with common association indices.

Federal Library Utilization of LibGuides to Disseminate COVID-19 Information

Objective – In winter 2019-2020, the world saw the emergence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). More than a year later, the pandemic continues with the U.S. death toll surpassing 550,000. Over the last decade, librarians have increased their roles in infectious disease outbreak response. However, no existing literature exists on use of the widely-used library content management platform, LibGuides, to respond to infectious disease outbreaks. This research explores how Federal Libraries use LibGuides to distribute COVID-19 information throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Methods – Survey questions were created and peer-reviewed by colleagues. Survey questions first screened for participant eligibility and collected broad demographic information to assist in identifying duplicate responses from individual libraries, then examined the creation, curation, and maintenance of COVID-19 LibGuides. The survey was hosted in Max.gov, a Federal Government data collection and analysis tool. Invitations to participate in the survey were sent via email to colleagues and listservs and posted to personal social media accounts. The survey was made publicly available for three weeks. Collected data were exported into Excel to clean, quantify, and visualize results. Long form answers were manually reviewed and tagged thematically. Results – Of the 78 eligible respondents, 42% (n = 33) reported that their library uses LibGuides to disseminate COVID-19 information; 45% of these respondents said they spent 10+ hours creating their COVID-19 LibGuide, and 60% of respondents spent <1 hour a week on maintenance and updates. Most LibGuides were created in early spring 2020 as the U.S. first saw an uptick in COVID-19 cases. For marketing purposes, respondents reported using web/internal announcements (75%) and email (50%) most frequently. All respondents reported inclusion of U.S. Government resources in their COVID-19 LibGuides, and a majority also included guidelines, international websites, and databases to inform their user communities. Conclusion – Some Federal Libraries use LibGuides as a tool to share critical information, including as a tool for emergency response. Results show libraries tend to start from scratch and share the same resources, duplicating efforts. To improve efficiency in LibGuide curation and use of library staff time, one solution to consider is the creation of a LibGuides template that any Federal Library can use to quickly set up and adapt an emergency response LibGuide specifically for their users. Additionally, findings show that libraries are uncertain of archiving and preservation plans for their guides post-pandemic, suggesting a need for recommended best practices.

Mistrust of government within authoritarian states hindering user acceptance and adoption of digital IDs in Africa: The Nigerian context

Abstract Nigeria commenced its national foundational digital identity project in 2007 and had enrolled 60 million people by July 2021. The project, led by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), seeks to unify the country’s public and private functional identity databases, and aims to improve government services and national security. Although the enrolment process had encountered initial challenges such as the absence of enrolment centers in some communities across the country, enrolment for the biometric ID had proceeded without any significant public objection to its objectives. Following the EndSARS protests of October 2020, where youths protesting police violence and perceived poor governance were shot at by government security forces and protesters placed under surveillance, the government announced an updated national identity policy mandating citizens link their National Identity Number (NIN) with their SIM card information. For the first time, significant pockets of resistance arose against the national ID project by sections of the public who perceived the EndSARS violence as signaling a change in government behavior, and the updated ID policy as a mechanism for empowering government surveillance and authoritarianism. The resistance to the ID project marked a shift in public perception which threatens its future. This paper argues that mistrust in government data collection projects grows when data collection is perceived to be increasing government power to the detriment of human rights and freedom. It also puts forward a proposal on how to restore trust within the low-trust environment in Nigeria including the passage of a data protection law and amendments to the NIMC Act and Policies/Regulations, establishing Federated identity providers which give choices to end-users, and delinking the NIN from functional identity databases.

Data in the Time of COVID-19: How Data Library Professionals Helped Combat the Pandemic

As the world struggled to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers worked around the clock to understand what was going on, medically, socially, and economically. At the same time, usual research processes were disrupted: campuses were closed and normal government data collection and dissemination went haywire. Data professionals in academic libraries sprang into action to help. They shared resources, developed workshops, helped find alternative methods of carrying out research, and found ways of coping with the influx of COVID-related data. Social crises are fought on the front lines by medical professionals and service providers, but they are also fought with research, with information, with data. Libraries are at the nexus of information and communication and library professionals were able to play an important supporting role in helping researchers combat the effects of the pandemic.

Applying a Capabilities Approach to Understanding Older LGBT People's Disclosures of Identity in Community Primary Care.

Internationally, there is increasing recognition that lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) populations experience substantial public health inequalities and require interventions to address these inequalities, yet data on this population is often not routinely collected. This paper considers the case study of the UK, where there are proposals to improve government and health data collection on LGBT populations, but also a degree of apparent uncertainty over the purpose and relevance of information about LGBT status in healthcare. This paper applies a health capabilities framework, arguing that the value of health information about LGBT status should be assessed according to whether it improves LGBT people’s capability to achieve good health. We draw upon 36 older LGBT people’s qualitative accounts of disclosing LGBT status within UK general practice healthcare. Participants’ accounts of the benefits and risks of disclosure could be mapped against multiple domains of capability, including those that closely align with biomedical accounts (e.g., longevity and physical health), but also more holistic considerations (e.g., emotion and affiliation). However, across all domains, individuals tend to assess capabilities at an individual level, with relatively little reference to population-level impact of disclosure. Clearer articulation of the benefits of disclosure and data collection for the collective capabilities of LGBT populations may be a beneficial strategy for improving the quality of information on LGBT populations.

As open as possible and as closed as needed

As open as possible and as closed as needed

Data collection, counterterrorism and the right to privacy

Governments around the world collect huge amounts of personal data from their citizens (as well as foreigners) for counterterrorist purposes. While mining this data has arguably increased the security of populations, the practices through which these data are currently collected in many countries have been criticised for violating individuals’ rights to privacy. Yet it is not clear what a permissible data collection regime (if one is possible) would look like and thus also how we could reform existing regimes to make them morally acceptable. This article explores a number of ways in which we might justify a data collection regime to those affected in spite of the setbacks to their privacy. In contrast to existing justifications, I argue that individuals can be asked to surrender their personal data as a requirement of reciprocity in a cooperative system in which they gain security from others doing likewise. Relying on this justification, though, has significant implications for how we should reform existing data collection regimes. In particular, more stringent limits will need to be placed on the forms which these regimes can legitimately take.

Meeting the Need for Special Education Teacher Education: Universities Can Make It Difficult

There are three initial teacher education programs for specialist teachers in the state of Victoria, Australia. As Australian Federal and State governments were starting to pay closer, more tangible attention to those with disability, one Australian university closed its Disability Studies single degree program, along with its associated Education/Disability program; this is a teacher education program. An examination of government data collection, reports, policy development and curriculum support activities sets out recent government directions with regards to special education in Victoria and Australia. Why then would a major program provider cut its program? In the examination of this case it is argued that an 'academic culture' may prevail within universities which see small specialist programs as unattractive to their overall purpose and appeal. Does this culture fit within the wider community view of support and need for specialist teachers for children with special learning needs? How well is this view understood? Can this understanding be improved?

Forest litterfall and its composition: a new data set of observational data from China

AbstractKnowledge of litterfall production and its allocation is important for understanding nutrient cycling and assessing productivity in forest ecosystems; however, available litterfall datasets are rare in China. Consequently, in the present study, data from published studies (1970–2014) on litterfall and its composition in forest ecosystems in China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) were collected, critically reviewed, and incorporated in a comprehensive forest litterfall data set for China. The data set included the following litterfall data: leaves, branches, reproductive parts (flowers and fruits), and miscellaneous. Moreover, associated information was also included, i.e., geographical location (latitude, longitude, altitude, aspect, and slope), climate [mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP)], stand description (forest type, dominant tree species, stand origin, stand age, mean DBH, mean tree height and stand density), and data collection regime (sample frequency and date, trap size, and number). The data set included 904 entries for 168 study sites, that were distributed in various climate zones with latitudes 18.26°–51.50° N, longitudes 82.25°–129.53° E and altitudes 0–4115 m above sea level (a.s.l.), covering broad climatic gradients (−5.4 to 25.4°C in MAT and 370 to 2800 mm in MAP). The data can be used to analyze spatio‐temporal dynamics of China's forest litterfall and its allocation, understand nutrient cycling and assess productivity in forest ecosystems. Finally, the data set is freely available for noncommercial scientific applications.

Politics of Psychiatry and Mental Health Care

Politics of Psychiatry and Mental Health Care

2013 and 'DSMitis': implications for the Journal of Eating Disorders and its authors.

Authors: Phillipa Hay (corresponding author) [1,2]; Stephen Touyz [3] Editorial Some of us can recall the fervour and excitement surrounding the introduction of the third revision of the American Psychiatric Association?s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) [1] onto the international psychiatric stage in 1980. History will judge the fifth revision of the DSM (DSM-5) [2] and whilst the response thus far appears more muted there are a number of substantive changes already impacting on clinicians and academics. For example, lecturers revising their power-points find it a much simpler system to explain with no axes to distinguish it from general medical classifications or to be a proxy for a simplified formulation. In assessment, Engel [3] and colleagues? ?biopsychosocial? approach to psychiatric formulation may thus resume importance in capturing the understanding of the patient?s problems beyond the diagnosis. Whether the WHO disability scale [4] will have the utility and familiarity as the Global Assessment of Function (GAF [5]) is also unknown, particularly given the highly variable use of the GAF. Beyond the clinician what do the changes mean for academics? Already instruments like the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview [6] need urgent official upgrades. Fortunately the gold standard assessment instrument in Eating Disorders research, the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) [7] and its self-report sister instrument the EDE-Q [8] require little adaptation and indeed have benefited from the alignment of criteria for presence of bulimia behaviours across disorders. Thus researchers will no longer have to inquire about binge eating over the past 6-months (as it is now diagnosed over 3-months) and the final question on menstrual function is no more a diagnostic item for anorexia nervosa. Will Journal of Eating Disorders accept papers using DSM-IV [5] criteria? The short answer is in most instances ?no?, unless authors make a compelling argument. For example in a longitudinal study it is usually not possible to reclassify participants diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria at entry to the study. There will be an expectation that authors doing systematic reviews carefully check the criteria used for diagnoses in papers. Many applied broad criteria for bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa (e.g., the ?Oxford? criteria of once weekly binge eating [7]) that now accord with DSM-5 criteria and this should be reported in the review. What about the alternate international scheme, the World Health Organisation?s International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)? The tenth revision of the ICD (ICD-10) and DSM-IV schemes currently use similar diagnostic terms and the same numerical systems. This assisted hospital administrators who need to convert DSM-IV into ICD-10 for government data collection and similar purposes, but it was of less interest to researchers and academics. Now however there is potential for confusion with the DSM-5 using some ICD-10 terms, e.g., ?atypical? anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, with different criteria. In addition, the 11th revision of the ICD [9] may remove the requirement of an objectively large amount in the criterion for binge eating episodes. These changes are of notable concern to researchers attempting to estimate incidence and prevalence data across time and space. With loosening of some diagnostic criteria (e.g., removal of the amenorrhoea criteria for anorexia nervosa) and expansion of the field to new and added disorders of feeding and eating (e.g., Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)), care will need to be taken to avoid artificial increases in estimates of burden. And looking forward? We anticipate a stream of papers with reference to the new eating disorders, in particular ARFID. This is both from the child and adolescent and the adult fields as ARFID encompasses both. The area is wide open for research on ARFID assessment, epidemiology, treatment and outcome. …

Years of Work Results in Win: D.C. Releases First-Ever Psoriasis Public Health Agenda

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) led collaborative efforts among clinical, biomedical and public health experts to develop the first-ever public health agenda for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, giving federal recognition to millions of Americans living with these diseases. In 2009, after a multiyear advocacy campaign by National Psoriasis Foundation advocates and leaders, Congress allocated $1.5 million to the CDC to commence the first-ever government data collection effort on psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Through extensive collaboration, the coalition created a list of priorities, needs and unanswered questions in psoriatic disease research. The agenda clearly states the need for research into basic questions, such as the age at which psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis appear, how the diseases start and develop over time, and possible differences in how they affect certain groups, such as younger versus older people.

The sport participation legacy of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and other international sporting events hosted in Australia

The legacy of an Olympic Games in a host city or country can take a variety of forms, including non-sporting benefits, such as enhanced urban infrastructure and national and international tourism profile, and sporting benefits, such as improved sporting facilities, strengthened sports organisations and potential increases in grassroots sport participation. This paper concentrates on the last of these, particularly in regard to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The paper examines claims by the Olympic movement concerning increased sports participation as a legacy and examines available evidence to consider whether the hosting of the Games boosted sports participation in Australia. While some estimates suggest that participation did increase following the hosting of the 2000 Olympics, the failure of relevant organisations to maintain an adequate and consistent data collection regime makes this conclusion extremely speculative. From 2001 onwards, with the existence of a more stable data collection system and increasing awareness of the idea of a sport participation legacy, it is possible to make more reliable estimates of the pattern of grassroots sports participation following the hosting of the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. However, even when reliable and consistent participation data are available, the question of causality in the context of the wider sport development and participation system remains to be addressed.

Budget transparency on maternal health spending: a case study in five Latin American countries

Progress in reducing maternal mortality has been slow and uneven, including in Latin America, where 23,000 women die each year from preventable causes. This article is about the challenges civil society organizations in Latin America faced in assessing budget transparency on government spending on specific aspects of maternity care, in order to hold them accountable for reducing maternal deaths. The study was carried out by the International Planned Parenthood, Western Hemisphere Region and the International Budget Partnership in five Latin American countries – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and Peru. It found that only in Peru was most of the information they sought available publicly (from a government website). In the other four countries, none of the information was available publicly, and although it was possible to obtain at least some data from ministry and health system sources, the search process often took a complex course. The data collected in each country were very different, depending not only on the level of budget transparency, but also on the existence and form of government data collection systems. The obstacles that these civil society organizations faced in monitoring national and local budget allocations for maternal health must be addressed through better budgeting modalities on the part of governments. Concrete guidelines are also needed for how governments can better capture data and track local and national progress.

An independent evaluation of the modernization of NHS endoscopy services in England: data poverty and no improvement

The Modernising Endoscopy Services (MES) programme introduced a focussed modernization drive and data collection regime to English NHS endoscopy services. We independently evaluated the MES programme by comparing routinely collected, service-related endoscopy data from sites that participated in the MES programme and sites that did not. A random selection of 10 endoscopy units who had participated in the MES programme (intervention sites) were compared with a random selection of 10 endoscopy units who redesigned their services independently (control sites). Data on demand, numbers waiting, activity and cancellations were collected for eight time points between January 2003 and April 2006. Data were aggregated into intervention and control groups for statistical analysis using a two-way analysis of variance. Activity data were validated using an equivalent Hospital Episode Statistics dataset. Data were not routinely collected by 11 of 19 endoscopy units. Trust-held datasets were subsequently included to address problems with data availability. The accuracy of the Activity data was successfully validated. Statistical analysis of the data showed that neither the intervention group nor the control group were able to significantly improve their services over time. There was also no significant difference between the intervention group and the control group in the improvement of their endoscopy services at any point time. Based on the data collected, the intervention programme did not significantly improve NHS endoscopy services in England over and above what could have been achieved independently with only the intention to redesign.