An Invisible Hand for Creating Public Value From Data

Abstract

In this article we describe how data usage statistics could be designed to reward the contributions of both researchers and government agencies, functionally creating a carrot that rewards engagement. We provide a concrete use case-the Democratizing Data pilot project-and discuss how the results could be used to develop a community-driven incentive structure, or an 'invisible hand,' to generate better evidence for policymakers and lower costs for the taxpayer. We also note the potential to extend the approach and platform to other data-driven initiatives, notably investments in artificial intelligence.

Creating Engagements: Bringing the User Into Data Democratization

“…This integrated approach leads to long-term outcomes in the third stage (Figure 1, right column) that include accessible federal data, knowledgeable and empowered users, an open data community ethos, sustainable data practices, replicable research, and evidence-based policy actions, each of which are components of the core mission of democratizing data. While improving data access and usability of federal data is a primary goal of data democratization (Lane, 2024;Lane et al, 2022;Potok, 2023), another possible outcome, if strategies are implemented effectively, is a community of empowered users. Studies show that individuals who feel empowered using services remain loyal to that service provider (Vatanasombut et al, 2004) and user satisfaction has a positive impact on user retention, defined as the longevity of a user's loyalty to and interest in a product or service Gu et al, 2022).…”

“…This moderator can be problematic and raises questions about whether the core users are representative of the broader user community of users . Failure to adequately represent the broader user community could diminish overall effectiveness (Lane, 2024).…”

Data Democratization: An Ecosystemic Contemplation and Coordination

“…I am also mindful, however, of the issue that the current reward systems in academic focus significantly more on theory, methods, and final results than on being a data supplier or more generally as an intermediary, regardless how critical such unsung roles might be. This leads to the syndrome of "Everyone wants to do the model work, not the data work," as discussed in Lane, Spector, and Stebbins (2024). Our own practice and observations, especially from those of us who have substantial publishing and editorial experiences, are that we have a long way to go before most researchers produce data sets when they produce results.…”

Turning Visions Into Reality: Lessons Learned From Building a Search and Discovery Platform

“…Despite such challenges, there are new opportunities to develop better signals about public data and new motivations to do so. Lane et al (2024) describe the legislative mandates that provide an impetus for agencies to ensure such opportunities are explored and taken. They note specifically that Title II of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act (2019) requires agencies to, among other things, provide information about how their data are used by the public, to produce evidence, and to create responsible officials.…”