Data

For effective community research, get the right people at the table

When people with lived experience participate in a research project’s design, data collection and analysis, they can increase engagement, build trust and lay the groundwork for system-level change.

Statistical models vs. front-line workers: Who knows best how to spend opioid settlement cash?

A mathematical model designed to direct spending of opioid settlement funds is at the center of a debate over whether to invest in technology to guide long-term decisions or focus on the immediate needs of people in addiction.

Mayors, experts discuss the solution and barriers to ending homelessness

Amid a homelessness crisis nationwide, Houston and Los Angeles have housed thousands of people under a “housing first” approach.

One state looks to collect multiyear data to address the mental health crisis

Ohio has launched a $20 million research project to study the social and biological factors influencing mental health. Researchers hope the study will continue for two decades and deliver actionable insights for policymakers nationwide.

After promising to make government health care data more accessible, the Biden administration now wants to clamp down

Researchers across the country fear a new proposal by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will increase fees and decrease access to data used to support major health care reforms.

Cities pay a climate penalty as air pollution worsens

Communities vulnerable to deteriorating air conditions and the resulting public health issues may find it ever more difficult to adapt to the changing environment, a new report suggests.

Today’s real-time wildfire data helps prepare for a changing climate

Rapid response and early detection data tools are helping agencies paint a clearer picture of incoming wildfire risks.

Car thefts and carjackings are up. Unreliable data makes it hard to pinpoint why.

Experts caution against making policy based on anecdotal evidence on social media.

Data literacy 101: Building a public sector workforce for the future

Failure to understand data is more dangerous to states and localities than ever, and there’s a big gap between what public employees know about data and what they need to know.

Can wastewater alert schools about Covid spread?

COMMENTARY | While wastewater surveillance doesn't prevent all viral transmission, its role in understanding the extent of transmission could help officials ensure schools stay open during a public health emergency.

Connecting researchers and legislators can lead to policies that reflect scientific evidence

COMMENTARY | Researchers want real-world impact. Lawmakers want programs that work. The public wants to benefit from taxpayer-funded research. Building a bridge from academia to legislatures is key to all three.

How to craft fair, transparent data-sharing agreements

Effective decision making often requires a complex process of gathering data from different sources. A new framework for data-sharing agreements streamlines the process.

Employees need drastic reskilling to deal with generative AI’s data needs

Data analysts are just one part of the picture, observers said. Governments will also need data architects and business analysts, as well as ethicists to help with its responsible use.

What HUD’s annual homelessness count misses

Rather than relying on a single metric, communities need to develop a data infrastructure they can use to track, reduce and end homelessness.

Documents show Republican-led states struggling to clean voter rolls after leaving ERIC

Officials encounter new obstacles and costs in trying to replace just some of the data they used to get from the Electronic Registration Information Center, unreleased records show.

Feds look to partner with states to enforce data privacy laws, cyber breaches

As cybersecurity threats grow and evolve, the Federal Communications Commission recently announced it would partner with four states to step up efforts to protect consumer privacy by holding bad actors accountable.

Without good data, government AI tools will just be 'garbage in, garbage out'

Virginia’s chief data officer recently shared what his state is doing to ensure quality data and warned that artificial intelligence is only as good as the information it has to work with.

LGBTQ+ people are nearly twice as likely to be displaced after disasters, new research shows

For the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau has collected national data on sexual orientation and gender identity related to disaster displacement.

Want to know if your data are managed responsibly? Here are 15 questions to help you find out

COMMENTARY | Responsible data stewardship must take many factors into account including legal requirements, data governance, cybersecurity and user privacy.

How many inmates return to prison? Inconsistent reporting makes it hard to tell.

States define recidivism differently, which can result in misleading interpretations of the statistics.