As a reminder, we kindly ask that you follow these Zoom etiquette guidelines.
Keep video on.
Use the “Raise Hand” feature.
Be on mute unless you’re speaking.
Respect comments.
Ask for clarification in the chat.
We will remain in the breakout groups for the next 50 minutes. The structure of the breakout room is as follows:
| Activity | Time Allotted |
|---|---|
| Introductions | 5 minutes |
| Activity #1 | 15 minutes |
| Activity #2 | 22 minutes |
| Reflection Questions | 8 minutes |
Total Time: 5 minutes
Welcome, everyone! Let’s start off with a quick icebreaker.
Please introduce yourself by sharing:
Your name.
The institution or organization you’re affiliated with.
Think of a paper you’re currently working on. Share the dataset you’re using and how you’re accessing it.
Total Time: 15 minutes
In today’s rapidly evolving research landscape, the ability to quickly and effectively find relevant datasets can be the difference between publishing in a top field journal or spending months finding the right publication home; securing funding for that highly competitive research grant or not; and spending hours instead of days searching for the right dataset for your research project.
We recognize the challenges associated with sorting through vast amounts of available datasets. Initiatives, like the one being featured today (DemocratizingData.ai), are being developed to simplify components of this process. These efforts require contributions from the community, which is why we have convened this workshop.
This first activity aims to explore these opportunities by conceptualizing an ideal tool for tracking dataset usage statistics. Understanding these statistics informs the public about the relevance and impact of various datasets, and provides information to researchers about the most widely-used (and under-utilized) resources for their work.
To conceptualize this ideal tool, we will go through a role-playing scenario.
Scenario: Assume you have become aware of a new (to you) dataset and you want to understand whether it is useful for your research and how others have used it.
Objective: We will walk through a series of questions to understand your decision-making process in determining the usefulness of this dataset to you.
Instructions: For answering the questions, we’ll use Idea Boards, an online collaboration tool that allows participants to share their thoughts and insights through sticky notes.
Short tutorial on how to use an Idea Board.
When instructed, please navigate to your group’s Idea Board:
| Breakout Group | Discussant | Link to Idea Board |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | Allie Bauman | Idea Board 1 |
| Group 2 | Rebecca Cleary | Idea Board 2 |
| Group 3 | Alessandro Bonanno | Idea Board 3 |
| Group 4 | Lauren Chenarides | Idea Board 4 |
Navigate to the provided link to access our group’s Idea Board.
Once there, you’ll find different columns, each corresponding to a specific question or part of our discussion.
To add your input, click on the ‘Add Sticky’ button (the green plus sign) in the column where you want to post your sticky note.
You will see a new sticky note appear - start typing your comment.
Feel free to move your notes around, edit them as the discussion evolves, or “up vote” sticky notes written by others in your group.
Scenario: Assume you have become aware of a new (to you) dataset and you want to understand whether it is useful for your research and how others have used it.
What key pieces of information would you want to know about the usage of this dataset?
Are there tools / resources that can provide you with the information you want?
What features does, or should, a tool / resource have to help you decide if the dataset is useful?
Total Time: 30 minutes
For the next activity, we will walk you through a prototype dashboard that provides data usage information about USDA datasets. (Access the dashboard here.)
The primary functions of the dashboard include:
Identifying users of USDA-produced datasets by region, institution, and field
Providing information on publications and citations featuring USDA-produced datasets
Time: 7 minutes
Let’s walk through the dashboard using an example dataset: Farm to School Census. This will help everyone familiarize themselves with the dashboard and the types of questions we will be exploring. Please note that there are many features of this dashboard, so the purpose of this tutorial is to give you a framework of how to use the tool. You will have the opportunity to explore this dashboard in greater depth on your own.
The guide above walks through the current version of the Democratizing Data dashboard.
| Task | Task Description | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Locate your dataset: Navigate to where you can filter USDA-produced datasets. | Select “Farm to School Census” for this tutorial |
| 2 | Identify an expert: Who can we ask for help? | Becca Jablonski |
| 3 | Identify five papers: What papers can we read that have used this dataset? | Big Hunger |
| 4 | Explore publications by citation count: What journal has the most publications using this dataset? | Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition |
| 5 | Explore publications by specific sub-field: What journals in Ag Econ have published manuscripts using this dataset? | Go to “All Science Journal Classification Subfields”, select “Economics and Econometrics” |
Time: 15 minutes
Overview: Now you will explore the utility and functionality of the prototype dashboard on your own. This activity is designed to highlight different aspects of the dashboard and how you can use it to collect data usage statistics.
Objective: To assess the relevance and usefulness of the statistics provided by the prototype dashboard, and to evaluate how effectively the dashboard meets the needs of a research-oriented user community, focusing specifically on the statistics collected and displayed.
Group Assignments: Each group will focus on a different dataset. Answer the same set of questions as we have practiced with the Farm to School Census. Please navigate the dashboard on your own. The datasets for each group are as follows:
| Breakout Group | Discussant | Assigned Dataset |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | Allie Bauman | Census of Agriculture |
| Group 2 | Rebecca Cleary | FoodAPS |
| Group 3 | Alessandro Bonanno | Current Population Survey – Food Security Supplement |
| Group 4 | Lauren Chenarides | Food Access Research Atlas |
Respond to the series of questions to uncover detailed data usage statistics. After completing the tasks, we will regroup to share insights and discuss your experiences.
As you navigate the dashboard to answer the questions, please make use of the chat feature in Zoom to provide comments, in real time, about your experience. Our note takers will be collecting your feedback.
Time: 8 minutes
After you have gone through the dashboard and answered the questions, let’s review the following questions as a group. Note takers, please document the responses to share with the larger group.
Thank you for sharing. We will now reconvene with the rest of the participants to share your reflections from these activities.