ALS 1210

Data Democratization

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2025-2026 Catalog.

Access to quality data and information is at the heart of an informed and engaged populace. However, the skills required to process and make sense of data have historically been disproportionately held by state and corporate actors who often possess more resources to collect, store and analyze data than everyday people. This is particularly true in the context of surveillance technology, where use of data collected from such means is not equitably distributed, or equally advantageous. Through a framework of data democratization, this class will equip students with the skills needed to critically interrogate and use authentic data from a variety of open data sources to inform their personal decisions, including civic engagement and issue advocacy.

Distribution Requirements (DLG-AG, SBA-AG)

Last 3 terms offered 2024FA, 2022FA, 2021FA

Learning Outcomes REF-FA25

• Describe the strengths and limitations of different quantitative and qualitative data types (e.g., self-report survey data; observational/trace data; archival records as data; clinical records, etc.) and be able to select those most suitable for their research question or need.
• Explain how various social factors (economic, cultural, political and personal) influence the production, preservation and use of data, and marginalize the perspectives, histories, and research of certain human communities.
• Identify sources of open and reusable datasets, and be able to locate datasets based on student interest. Assess the strengths and limitations of the dataset, including data provenance and how robust the metadata is.
• Utilize open-source tools (R; Tableau Public; Atlas Open) for simple data manipulation, analysis and visualization.

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