Week 2 – Bias, credibility, privacy, ethics, and access

1. Fill in the blank: A preference in favor of or against a person, group of people, or thing is called _____. It is an error in data analytics that can systematically skew results in a certain direction.

Answers

·        data collection

·        data interoperability

·        data bias

·        data anonymization

Explanation: You are searching for the concept known as prejudice. A systematic preference in favor of or against an individual, group of individuals, or entity is what is meant when talking about bias in the context of data analytics. It may bias findings in a certain way, leading to inaccuracies and affecting the validity of conclusions formed from the data, which can lead to mistakes in analysis. It is very necessary to deal with bias and reduce it to a minimum in order to acquire trustworthy and objective insights from data.

2. Which type of bias is the tendency to always construe ambiguous situations in a positive or negative way?

Answers

·         Observer

·        Confirmation

·        Sampling

·        Interpretation

Explanation: Confirmation bias is a kind of prejudice that describes the propensity to constantly perceive ambiguous events in either a positive or negative manner. This sort of bias is what you are referring to when you talk about bias. The phenomenon known as confirmation bias takes place when people give priority to information that supports their already held ideas or expectations while ignoring or downplaying information that contradicts those beliefs or expectations. This bias causes people to interpret information in a manner that is consistent with their pre-existing attitudes or opinions when it comes to the context of construing ambiguous circumstances.

 

3. Which of the following are qualities of unreliable data? Select all that apply.

Answers

·        Biased

·        Inaccurate

·        Vetted

·        Incomplete

 

4. Fill in the blank: Data _____ refers to well-founded standards of right and wrong that dictate how data is collected, shared, and used.

Answers

·        ethics

·        privacy

·        credibility

·        anonymization

5. Ownership is a key issue in data ethics. Who owns data?

Answers

·        The organization that invests time and money collecting, processing, and analyzing the data

·        The government that passes data-protection legislation

·        The individual who originally generates the data

·        The law enforcement agencies that enforce data protection laws

6. An employer accesses an employee’s credit report without their consent. This is not a violation of the employee’s privacy because they work at the company.

Answers

·        True

·        False

Explanation: Accessing the credit record of an employee without first obtaining their authorization has the potential to be a breach of the employee's right to privacy and may also generate legal and ethical considerations. The rules and regulations pertaining to privacy might differ from one country to another; nonetheless, in many instances, workers have privacy rights that safeguard some parts of their personal information, including credit reports.

Before accessing sensitive personal information about an employee, such as a credit report, an employer is obliged to get the employee's permission in many different jurisdictions. Even if a person is employed by a firm, their right to privacy with regard to some aspects of their personal information is normally protected, and illegal access to sensitive data may result in legal repercussions for the employer.

 

7. What is the process of protecting people’s private or sensitive data by eliminating identifying information?

Answers

·        Data governance

·        Data design

·        Data ethics

·        Data anonymization

Explanation: When working with high-dimensional datasets in particular, it is essential to keep in mind that total anonymization might be difficult to achieve, and that there is always the possibility that individuals could be re-identified. In order for the anonymization process to be successful, careful study and respect to privacy best practices and regulatory requirements are both vital components.

 

8. A key aspect of open data is free access to people’s personal information.

Answers

·        True

·        False

Explanation: This statement is not correct in any way. The concepts behind open data often do not include unrestricted access to individuals' personal information. The term "open data" refers, in a broad sense, to the concept that specific data ought to be freely accessible for anybody to use, reuse, and redistribute without any limits being placed on such activities. However, this does not apply to information that is particularly private or sensitive.

It is common for privacy laws and regulations to protect personal information; thus, it would be a breach of private rights to allow unrestricted access to such data without first obtaining authorization or putting in place appropriate precautions. Open data efforts often concentrate on non-personal, non-sensitive information that may be shared for the benefit of the general public. Examples of this kind of information include government datasets, research results, and public records.

It is of the utmost importance to make a clear distinction between the ideas of open data and the preservation of personal privacy. However, privacy issues must be observed, and personal information should be treated with care and in compliance with current laws and ethical standards. Open data advocates for openness and accessibility of specific kinds of information.

Shuffle Q/A 1

9. A clinic surveys a group of male and female patients about their experience with physical therapy. The survey does not include people with disabilities. Is the survey data biased?

Answer

·        Yes

·        No

Explanation: The results of the poll might very well be skewed. People with disabilities should not be excluded from the survey since doing so would create a type of selection bias because it would systematically exclude a certain group from the sample. Due to the fact that people with impairments did not participate in the survey, it is possible that the findings may not adequately reflect the experiences of the whole of the population that is undergoing physical therapy.

It is possible for biased survey data to lead to erroneous or insufficient conclusions, given that the experiences of groups who were not included in the survey may be markedly different from those of those that were included in the study. It is essential to take into consideration the diversity of the population and to include persons with a variety of characteristics, including those with disabilities, in the survey in order to reduce the likelihood of bias and to assure a sample that is more representative of the whole community. This contributes to a fuller and more inclusive knowledge of the topic at hand, which may then be used in other contexts.

 

10. A university surveys its student-athletes about their experience in college sports. The survey only includes student-athletes with scholarships. What type of bias is this an example of?

Answer

·        Interpretation bias

·        Observer bias

·        Confirmation bias

·        Sampling bias

Explanation: This is an illustration of the effect of selection bias. A research or survey is said to have suffered from selection bias if the sample it utilized was not representative of the overall population, which resulted in findings that were skewed or erroneous.

In this particular instance, the institution is omitting a subgroup of student-athletes who do not have scholarships since the survey is only being given to student-athletes who have scholarships. This exclusion may give rise to prejudice due to the fact that the experiences and points of view of student-athletes who do not get scholarships may be distinct from those of student-athletes who do receive scholarships. The survey should contain a representative sample that takes into consideration a variety of various groups within the population so that a more in-depth picture of the entire student-athlete experience can be obtained.

 

11. An individual who provides their data has the right to know and understand all of the data-processing activities and algorithms used on that data. This is called ownership.

Answer

·        True

·        False

Explanation: Instead of ownership, the idea that you're describing more closely adheres to the values of openness and data subject rights. Individuals typically have the right, under the legislation governing data ethics and privacy, to be informed about the manner in which personal data is processed, including the right to comprehend the data-processing activities and algorithms that are used. This right helps to increase openness and gives people the ability to make educated choices about how and with whom they share their data.

On the other hand, "ownership of data" often refers to legal or contractual rights governing control and use of the data rather than the right to know how it is processed. This is because legal and contractual rights tend to be more restrictive than rights to access the raw data. The determination of who owns what data may be difficult and is often governed by many legal frameworks and agreements.

In a nutshell, the right to know and comprehend actions related to data processing is a component of data subject rights and transparency rather than ownership. It underlines the significance of people being aware of how the handling of their personal data occurs and having some level of control over that handling.

 

12. The right to inspect, update, or correct your own data is part of which aspect of data ethics?

Answer

·        Data openness

·        Data ownership

·        Data consent

·        Data privacy

Explanation: These rights are often codified in data protection rules and privacy laws all over the globe, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union. Other examples include the California Consumer Privacy Act and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. The purpose of this endeavor is to provide people with the ability to have transparency and control over their own information, as well as to guarantee that the data being processed is accurate and fair.

 

13. Interoperability is key to open data’s success. Which of the following is an example of interoperability?

Answer

·        A website charges a fee to access a database

·        An analyst removes all personally identifiable information from a database

·        Different databases use common formats and terminology

·        A company restricts the use of a database to its own employees

14. Which of the following situations are examples of bias? Select all that apply.

Answer

·        A researcher who surveys a sample group that is representative of the population

·        A scholar who only reads sources that support their argument

·        A dancing competition judge who is a close friend of the dancer who wins the competition

·        A daycare that won’t hire men for childcare positions

15. Which of the following “C’s” describe qualities of good data? Select all that apply.

Answer

·        Comprehensive

·        Cited

·        Current

·        Consequential

16. If a company uses your personal data as part of a financial transaction, you should be made aware of the nature and scale of the transaction. What concept of data ethics does this refer to?

Answer

·        Privacy

·        Currency

·        Ownership

·        Consent

Explanation: The notion of data ethics that is pertinent to being made aware of the kind and magnitude of a financial transaction using your personal data is often related with the principle of transparency. This is because being aware of the nature and scale of the transaction is important to the concept of data ethics. The term "transparency" in the context of data ethics refers to the practice of communicating in a straightforward and transparent manner the manner in which data is acquired, processed, and used. It is important that individuals be informed about the objectives for which their data is being used, including specifics about any major data-related activities or financial transactions.

This transparency principle guarantees that people are aware of how their personal data is being used and enables them to make educated choices on whether or not they agree to such uses of their data. It helps contribute to creating trust between data controllers (organizations managing the data) and data subjects (people supplying the data) in the ethical treatment of personal information. Data controllers are organizations that handle the data, and data subjects are individuals who provide the data.

 

17. Data anonymization applies to both text and images.

Answer

·        True

·        False

Explanation: It is possible for data anonymization to be applied to pictures as well as text. Anonymization is a method that may be used to preserve the privacy of people by modifying or eliminating information in datasets that might identify such persons. The objective of this method is to preserve the usability of the data for analysis and other reasons while at the same time preventing the re-identification of people.

Anonymization in the context of text data may comprise the removal of personally identifying information (PII), such as names and addresses, along with other sensitive particulars.In the case of photographs, procedures for anonymization might consist of blurring or masking faces, eliminating geolocation information, or modifying other identifying aspects in order to prevent persons from being identified.

The particular techniques utilized to anonymize data are determined by the characteristics of the data in question as well as the applications to which it will be put. The need of protecting privacy is going to have to be weighed against the value that the data might provide to worthy causes.

 

18. The government of a large city collects data on the quality of the city’s infrastructure. Any business, nonprofit organization, or person can access the government’s databases and re-use or redistribute the data. Is this an example of open data?

Answer

·        Yes

·        No

Shuffle Q/A 2

19. Which of the following are types of data bias often encountered in data analytics? Select all that apply.

Answer

·        Observer bias

·        Interpretation bias

·        Educational bias

·        Confirmation bias

20. In general, the usefulness of data decreases as time passes.

Answer

·        True

·        False

Explanation: There are several circumstances in which the assertion that the utility of data will decline as more time passes is not always accurate. The relevance of data may change over time, which can affect how valuable the data is. The usefulness of data is contingent on a variety of things.

21. Ownership is a key issue in data ethics. Who owns data?

Answer

·        The law enforcement agencies that enforce data protection laws

·        The organization that invests time and money collecting, processing, and analyzing the data

·        The individual who originally generates the data

·        The government that passes data-protection legislation

Explanation: In many cases, legal frameworks, contractual agreements, and ethical concerns are involved in the process of determining who owns the data. When it comes to the management of data, data ethics places an emphasis on responsible and fair methods. These standards take into account the rights and interests of both the persons whose data is being managed and the organizations or entities that are managing the data.

22. Which of the following are commonly used methods for anonymizing data? Select all that apply.

Answer

·        Masking

·        Hashing

·        Deleting

·        Blanking

23. An individual who provides their data has the right to know and understand all of the data-processing activities and algorithms used on that data. This concept refers to which aspect of data ethics?

Answer

·        Currency

·        Consent

·        Ownership

·        Transaction transparency

Explanation: The principle that a person has the right to know and comprehend all of the data-processing activities and algorithms that are applied to their data is congruent with the component of data ethics known as transparency. In the context of data ethics, transparency refers to the provision of information that is both open and unambiguous about the manner in which data is acquired, processed, and used. It makes sure that people are aware of the aims, methods, and procedures that are involved in the processing of their personal data.

Building trust among people, providing individuals with the ability to make educated choices about their data, and holding companies responsible for ethical data practices all need transparency on some level. This idea is often mirrored in privacy rules and frameworks, with the emphasis being placed on the significance of transparency and clarity in the management of personal information.

24. In data ethics, consent gives an individual the right to know the answers to which of the following questions? Select all that apply.

Answer

·        How long will my data be stored?

·        Why am I being forced to share my data?

·        How will my data be used?

·        Why is my data being collected?