In my IRL and virtual travels, I’ve come across many cool resources both for those wanting to stick their toes in data viz (and related topics) and those ready to dive into the deep end. So I’ve been thinking about creating a resource list on my website. The problem is: I sort of hate resource lists. They usually overwhelm me. They offer up too many resources which are poorly described or not described at all. And I end up hopping into a bunch of time-sucking rabbit holes and emerge cranky.
So I’m going to try slowly building a highly-curated resource list through 60-Second Data Tips. I will occassionally write a tip describing a particular resource, including why I think it’s cool. And I’ll link each of these tips to a resource list on my website. My first recommended resource is: We All Count.
What is it?
We All Count is a project to increase equity in data science. Data equity, according to We All Count, involves “principles of fairness, transparency, inclusion and justice regardless of who may be experiencing them. Overt or unintentional racism, sexism, classism, heteronormativity, colonialism, ableism, ageism, and religious intolerance are just a few factors that can skew the equity of any data project.” We All Count does its work through:
A data equity community including a newsletter and community forum;
Developing tools, case studies, practices, and systems to improve equity in data science including the Data Equity Framework which is a systematic way of looking at data projects;
Training people in how to bring data equity to their work; and
Consulting with organizations on data equity issues.
Who’s it for?
It’s mostly for data scientists looking for ways to collect and analyze data in a more equitable way. However, the site has some great tools for nonprofits concerned about using data more equitably including a Data Jargon Decoder. They also offer a series of free webinars about current issues in data science which sometimes include topics of interest to anyone dealing with data, not just data scientists. And you can ask questions about how to collect, interpret, and present data in an equitable way on their online forum.
Who’s behind it?
Heather Krause started We All Count. Heather is a mathematical statistician with experience working on complex data problems and producing real-world knowledge.
Why I think it’s cool
We All Count is focused on practical solutions to knotty data equity issues. They don’t just complain. They offer up real-world solutions to issues such as how to collect demographic data on surveys.
Let’s talk about YOUR data!
Got the feeling that you and your colleagues would use your data more effectively if you could see it better? Data Viz for Nonprofits (DVN) can help you get the ball rolling with an interactive data dashboard and beautiful charts, maps, and graphs for your next presentation, report, proposal, or webpage. Through a short-term consultation, we can help you to clarify the questions you want to answer and goals you want to track. DVN then visualizes your data to address those questions and track those goals.
