2015

  • Technology and Democracy

Leveraging Algorithms for Positive Disruption: On data, democracy, society and statistics

The main objective of this paper is to discuss whether and how the future of algorithms can be crafted such that their development and deployment—from their design to their use, including control, evaluation, auditing, governance—be based on and foster core...

  • Resilient Livelihoods and Ecosystems

Big Data for Climate Change Resilience

This paper (in progress) outlines the Data–Pop Alliance’s ongoing research on Big Data, climate change and environmental resilience. The paper dives deeply into the conceptualization of climate change resilience, both specific and general; addresses Big Data contributions to understanding the...

  • Just Digital Transformations

Event Paper – “Big Data and Privacy: Understanding the Possibilities and Pitfalls of the Data Revolution in Germany

As the first event paper in the digitising Europe’s series, this event paper captures the major key themes emerging from our events in Berlin in November 2015. The Berlin workshop and public forum focused on the possibilities and pitfalls of...

  • AI and Statistics for the SDGs

Beyond Data Literacy: Reinventing Community Engagement and Empowerment in the Age of Data

This paper attempts to delineate the broad contours of “data literacy” through analysis of its history, definition, expectations, application, and promotion. The paper thus defines “data literacy” as “the desire and ability to constructively engage in society through and about...

  • Resilient Livelihoods and Ecosystems

Big Data for Climate Change and Disaster Resilience: Realising the Benefits for Developing Countries

This report explores the opportunities, challenges and required steps for leveraging this new ecosystem of Big Data to monitor and detect hazards, mitigate their effects, and assist in relief efforts. Ultimately the goal is to build resilience so that vulnerable...

  • Geographies of Inequalities

Moves on the Street: Classifying Crime Hotspots Using Aggregated Anonymized Data on People Dynamics

This paper highlights the potential societal benefits derived from big data applications with a focus on citizen safety and crime prevention. Authors detail a case study tackling the problem of crime hotspot classification, that is, the classification of which areas...

  • Just Digital Transformations

White Paper: The Law, Politics and Ethics of Cell Phone Data Analytics

This paper examines Call Detail Records (CDRs) and their expanding role in providing insight into human behavior, movements, and social interactions. As a result of their growing application, certain ethical and legal questions need to be addressed. The paper summarizes...

  • Just Digital Transformations

Quantifying the Data Deluge and the Data Drought

This paper investigates how the world’s Big Data capacity can be understood in terms of the world’s storage capacity and the telecommunication capacity to access this storage (‘the cloud’). This paper follows the methodology of what has become the standard...

  • AI and Statistics for the SDGs

Official Statistics, Big Data, and Human Development

This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing and future debate about the relationships between Big Data, official statistics and development. This paper argues that Big Data needs to be seen as an entirely new ecosystem comprising new data, new...

  • AI and Statistics for the SDGs

Big Data & SDGs Note for Global Sustainable Development Report

This paper focuses on the intersection of Big Data and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the spectrum of ways and channels through which Big Data as an entirely new ecosystem could impact—contribute to or hamper—human progress as called for and...

Big Data and Mobility: Migration and Transportation

This paper discusses the linkages between Big Data and mobility—specifically migration and transportation. Its main objective is to give its readers—World Bank staff, policymakers, researchers, development project managers and other professionals—an overview of the main features and parameters of this...