Understanding social impact of data on local communities

Abstract

• Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand the social impact of data on communities from cases of community data utilization. • Design/methodology/approach: This study took an interpretive qualitative approach and conducted a semi-structured phone interview with 45 participants from data intermediaries and local community organizations. • Findings: The results demonstrate both direct and indirect impact of data on local levels, including resolving local problems from data-driven decisions, realizing unknown problems or correcting misrepresented problems, changing community data practices, strengthening community identity, and enhancing the community’s data skills • Practical implications: The research shows that communities’ data utilization supported community-led actions and initiatives from the bottom-up perspective, which demonstrates the need for supporting communities’ data work. • Social implications: Minimizing inequality in data utilization should be resolved so that all communities can benefit from the power of data. • Originality/value: By demonstrating evidence of data being critical to encouraging communities’ data utilization, this study fills the gap in existing research, which lacks a clear explanation for how the potential of data can be realized at the local level.