Solutions to increase trust and empower better decision making in a data-rich world
Fact Forward: The Perils of Bad Information and the Promise of a Data-Savvy Society explores how a growing deluge of data has led to a data-rich world with abundant new opportunities and a precipitous decline in trust due to the problems we face in producing, communicating, and consuming data. This book takes readers on a journey through the data ecosystem, showing how data producers, data consumers, and data disseminators all have a role to play in creating a more data-savvy society.
Written by Dan Gaylin, president and CEO of NORC at the University of Chicago, a leading research organization in the field of social science and data science, this book demonstrates the urgent need for:
- greater transparency on the part of data producers
- increased data literacy on the part of data communicators and data consumers
- a societal commitment to data education and infrastructure
Fact Forward: The Perils of Bad Information and the Promise of a Data-Savvy Society earns a well-deserved spot on the bookshelves of leaders across industries and all individuals who want to build a better society and world by improving the way we present, analyze, and make use of data.
About the Cover ix
Preface xi
Chapter 1 The Importance of Being Data Savvy 1
Chapter 2 Understanding the Data Ecosystem 21
Chapter 3 The Breadth of the Data Universe 41
Chapter 4 The Challenge of Data Integrity 65
Chapter 5 Data and Algorithmic Transparency 85
Chapter 6 The Paradox of Data Neutrality 105
Chapter 7 Fostering Data Literacy 131
Chapter 8 Standards and Privacy 155
Chapter 9 Public Data Infrastructure 169
Chapter 10 The Promise and Challenge of Artificial Intelligence 193
Chapter 11 The Data- Savvy Future 215
Notes 227
Acknowledgments 259
About the Author 261
Index 263
DAN GAYLIN is the President and Chief Executive Officer of NORC at the University of Chicago an objective, nonpartisan, global research institute where he oversees the development and implementation of NORCs strategy and research. A frequent speaker both nationally and internationally, his presentations emphasize the importance of data quality in assessing the needs of people, communities, and society within the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
