scholarly journals Standardised Data on Initiatives – STARDIT: Beta Version

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Nunn ◽  
Thomas Shafee ◽  
Steven Chang ◽  
Richard Stephens ◽  
Jim Elliot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Data Sharing ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Problems ◽  
Machine Readable ◽  
Multiple Languages ◽  
Beta Version ◽  
Share Information

Abstract BackgroundThere is currently no standardised way to share information across disciplines about initiatives, including fields such as health, environment, basic science, manufacturing, media and international development. All problems, including complex global problems such as air pollution and pandemics require reliable data sharing between disciplines in order to respond effectively. Current reporting methods also lack information about the ways in which different people are involved in initiatives, making it difficult to collate and appraise data about the most effective ways to involve different people. ObjectiveSTARDIT (Standardised Data on Initiatives) was created to help everyone in the world find and understand information about collective human actions, which are referred to as ‘initiatives’. STARDIT enables multiple categories of data to be reported in a standardised way across disciplines, facilitating appraisal of initiatives and aiding synthesis of evidence for the most effective ways for people to be involved in initiatives. MethodSTARDIT is the first open access web-based data-sharing system which standardises the way that information about initiatives is reported across diverse fields and disciplines, including information about which tasks were done by which stakeholders. STARDIT data is licensed as public domain (CC0) and integrated into Wikidata; it works across multiple languages and is both human and machine readable. Reports can be updated throughout the lifetime of an initiative, from planning to evaluation, allowing anyone to be involved in reporting impacts and outcomes. STARDIT development is guided by participatory action research paradigms, and has been co-created with people from multiple disciplines around the world in multiple ways, working with Indigenous people, cancer patients, health researchers, environmental researchers, economists, librarians and academic publishers. ResultsOver 100 people from multiple disciplines have been involved in co-designing STARDIT. STARDIT reports have been created for peer-reviewed research in multiple journals and other research projects. A working Beta version was publicly released in February 2021 (ScienceforAll.World/STARDIT).

scholarly journals Standardised Data on Initiatives – STARDIT: Beta Version

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack S Nunn ◽  
Thomas Shafee
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
International Development ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
The World ◽  
Beta Version

BackgroundThere is currently no standardised way to share information about initiatives across disciplines such as health, environment, basic science, manufacturing and international development. As we face increasingly complex problems, such as global air and water pollution, the distinctions between disciplines can limit our ability to respond effectively. When data about initiatives are not reported in a standardised way, essential information is lost, along with opportunities for collaboration and comparison. ‘Citizen science’ and participatory action research are increasingly recognised as crucial methods to use to solve problems, as these methods can help ensure that initiatives are aligned with the priorities of those affected, thus redefining what it means to be a ‘researcher’. However, current reporting methods lack data about the ways in which different people are involved in initiatives, making it difficult to collate and appraise data about the most effective ways to involve different people. The Standardised Data on Initiatives (STARDIT) reporting system provides a way to share this data. Standardised data can inform effective ways to share power during the design, implementation and evaluation stage of initiatives. For example, when designing a response to an epidemic, standardised data can inform which affected individuals or organisations could be involved in the design of the response and which outcomes are most important.ObjectiveSTARDIT will enable many kinds of data to be reported in a standardised way across disciplines, helping people appraise initiatives and synthesise evidence for the most effective ways to involve people. MethodSTARDIT has been co-created in a collaborative way, informed by a number of reviews and guidelines. STARDIT development is informed by the participatory action research paradigm, and is being co-designed by people from multiple disciplines and organisations around the world, using a combination of face to face events, online events and online discussion and decision tools. STARDIT data is hosted using Wikidata which works across multiple languages and is both human and machine readable.Results Since its inception in July 2019, over 100 people from multiple disciplines have been involved in the STARDIT co-design process, including through participation in multiple online discussions and three face-to-face events. People from across the world accepted the public invitation to be a part of shaping development of the system by giving feedback on multiple versions, including people from Cochrane, John Hopkins University and the Health Research Authority UK. Four Alpha Version STARDIT reports have been published for a number of research projects. A working demonstration of the Beta Version was publicly released in February 2021 (ScienceforAll.World/STARDIT). It is hosted by Wikimedia Foundation servers under a Creative Commons licence.

scholarly journals Development of a Web-Based Resource for Parents of Young Children Newly Diagnosed With Autism: Participatory Research Design (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aspasia Stacey Rabba ◽  
Cheryl Dissanayake ◽  
Josephine Barbaro
Keyword(s):  
Participatory Design ◽  
End Users ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
End User ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Timely Access ◽  
One Stop ◽  
Beta Version ◽  
Share Information

BACKGROUND The internet provides an ideal avenue to share information, advice, and support regarding autism. However, many websites lack quality control and rarely provide a one-stop resource for families to access necessary, evidence-based information. OBJECTIVE This study aims to use participatory action research (PAR) with end users (ie, parents) and clinicians to develop a web-based resource (Pathways Beyond Diagnosis) to improve timely access to quality, evidence-based information, and support for families after their child is diagnosed with autism. METHODS The PAR approach involves 4 phases: (1) cooperative researcher-stakeholder planning, (2) cooperative researcher-stakeholder–based action, (3) stakeholder observation, and (4) cooperative researcher-stakeholder reflection. A total of 15 participants (parents, n=3; clinicians, n=9; and researchers, n=3) attended individual or group participatory design workshops. This was followed by the translation of knowledge and ideas generated during the workshops to produce mockups of webpages and content, rapid prototyping, and one-on-one consultations with end users to assess the usability of the website developed. RESULTS A total of 3 participatory design workshops were held with the participants, each followed by a knowledge translation session. At the end of the PAR cycle, an alpha prototype of the website was built and a series of one-on-one end user consultation sessions were conducted. The PAR cycle revealed the importance of 6 key topic areas (understanding autism, accessing services, support, gaining funding, putting it all together, and looking into the future) associated with the time of diagnosis, which were incorporated into the beta version of the website. CONCLUSIONS The development of the Pathways Beyond Diagnosis website using PAR ensures that families have ready access to practical and evidence-based information following a young child’s diagnosis. The website guides families to access relevant, reputable, and evidence-based information in addition to summarizing key challenges encountered after diagnosis (ie, grief, sharing the diagnosis) and the importance of self-care.

scholarly journals Development of a Web-Based Resource for Parents of Young Children Newly Diagnosed With Autism: Participatory Research Design

10.2196/15786 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. e15786
Author(s):  
Aspasia Stacey Rabba ◽  
Cheryl Dissanayake ◽  
Josephine Barbaro
Keyword(s):  
Participatory Design ◽  
End Users ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
End User ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Timely Access ◽  
One Stop ◽  
Beta Version ◽  
Share Information

Background The internet provides an ideal avenue to share information, advice, and support regarding autism. However, many websites lack quality control and rarely provide a one-stop resource for families to access necessary, evidence-based information. Objective This study aims to use participatory action research (PAR) with end users (ie, parents) and clinicians to develop a web-based resource (Pathways Beyond Diagnosis) to improve timely access to quality, evidence-based information, and support for families after their child is diagnosed with autism. Methods The PAR approach involves 4 phases: (1) cooperative researcher-stakeholder planning, (2) cooperative researcher-stakeholder–based action, (3) stakeholder observation, and (4) cooperative researcher-stakeholder reflection. A total of 15 participants (parents, n=3; clinicians, n=9; and researchers, n=3) attended individual or group participatory design workshops. This was followed by the translation of knowledge and ideas generated during the workshops to produce mockups of webpages and content, rapid prototyping, and one-on-one consultations with end users to assess the usability of the website developed. Results A total of 3 participatory design workshops were held with the participants, each followed by a knowledge translation session. At the end of the PAR cycle, an alpha prototype of the website was built and a series of one-on-one end user consultation sessions were conducted. The PAR cycle revealed the importance of 6 key topic areas (understanding autism, accessing services, support, gaining funding, putting it all together, and looking into the future) associated with the time of diagnosis, which were incorporated into the beta version of the website. Conclusions The development of the Pathways Beyond Diagnosis website using PAR ensures that families have ready access to practical and evidence-based information following a young child’s diagnosis. The website guides families to access relevant, reputable, and evidence-based information in addition to summarizing key challenges encountered after diagnosis (ie, grief, sharing the diagnosis) and the importance of self-care.

Volunteered Geographic Information for Disaster Management

2013 ◽  
pp. 477-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doris Dransch ◽  
Kathrin Poser ◽  
Joachim Fohringer ◽  
Christian Lucas
Keyword(s):  
Urban Planning ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Geographic Information ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Content Sharing ◽  
The World ◽  
Share Information

The amount of information generated and provided by citizens via the World Wide Web is constantly growing. Citizens share information, thoughts, and experiences in blogs and contribute information to web-based content sharing platforms, collaboratively created data bases that are freely usable by everybody. Disaster management as one component of urban planning to decrease a society’s vulnerability can benefit from information provided by citizens. This chapter gives an overview of the application of information provided by citizens in disaster management. It points out the potential of using such information for the various phases of disaster management. Three main challenges, which affect the usefulness of information supplied by citizens, are presented in more detail: data collection, localization and quality assessment. For each of these challenges, various approaches to address them are discussed.

Volunteered Geographic Information for Disaster Management

2013 ◽  
pp. 98-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doris Dransch ◽  
Kathrin Poser ◽  
Joachim Fohringer ◽  
Christian Lucas
Keyword(s):  
Urban Planning ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Geographic Information ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Content Sharing ◽  
The World ◽  
Share Information

The amount of information generated and provided by citizens via the World Wide Web is constantly growing. Citizens share information, thoughts, and experiences in blogs and contribute information to web-based content sharing platforms, collaboratively created data bases that are freely usable by everybody. Disaster management as one component of urban planning to decrease a society’s vulnerability can benefit from information provided by citizens. This chapter gives an overview of the application of information provided by citizens in disaster management. It points out the potential of using such information for the various phases of disaster management. Three main challenges, which affect the usefulness of information supplied by citizens, are presented in more detail: data collection, localization and quality assessment. For each of these challenges, various approaches to address them are discussed.

scholarly journals Standardised Data on Initiatives - STARDIT: Alpha Version

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Nunn ◽  
Thomas Shafee ◽  
Steven Chang ◽  
Richard Stephens ◽  
Jim Elliott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
International Development ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Or Education ◽  
Research Education ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
Pro Bono ◽  
Access To Knowledge ◽  
Machine Readable

Ensuring people affected by initiatives (including research, education and international development) are involved in shaping how they are done is essential to ensure that what is being done (including what is being researched) is aligned with the priorities of those affected. This includes ensuring that access to knowledge generated from the initiative is universal (open access), according to the UN Convention of Human Rights. Meanwhile, ‘citizen science’ and participatory action research are blurring the lines between concepts such as ‘researcher’, ‘public’, ‘patient’ and ‘citizen’. For example, those researching global air pollution are not limited to distinct disciplines such as ‘public health’, ‘environment’ or ‘education’, with everyone affected, including researchers. The importance of involving people in initiatives by sharing power is clear, but evidence-informed methods of doing this are lacking.Creating an evidence base to inform the most effective ways of sharing power when designing, doing and evaluating initiatives is essential in order to ensure efficient, effective and equitable ways of working for the benefit of all.Standardised Data on Initiatives (STARDIT) is designed to create a standard way to share information about who was involved in an initiative (who did which tasks), what was done, what was learned and any impacts which occurred. It is designed to be flexible, so it can be easily adapted to be useful across all disciplines, including health, environment, basic science, policy and international development. STARDIT reports will be shared open access (in the public domain), using machine readable linked-data.STARDIT is being co-created in a collaborative way, with anyone in the world invited to be a part of shaping the development. All information about it will be shared for free under a Creative Commons licence. The project is currently being hosted by the WikiJournals on Wikimedia Foundation servers. The co-creation process is being supported pro-bono by the charity ‘Science for All’.

scholarly journals Using Blockchain-Enabled Solutions as SDG Accelerators in the International Development Space

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 4025
Author(s):  
Ahmet Faruk Aysan ◽  
Fouad Bergigui ◽  
Mustafa Disli
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Use Case ◽  
Good Practices ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Hype Cycle ◽  
The World ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
Development Approach ◽  
Case Development

As the world is striving to recover from the shockwaves triggered by the COVID-19 crisis, all hands are needed on deck to transition towards green recovery and make peace with nature as prerequisites of a global sustainable development pathway. In this paper, we examine the blockchain hype, the gaps in the knowledge, and the tools needed to build promising use cases for blockchain technology to accelerate global efforts in this decade of action towards achieving the SDGs. We attempt to break the “hype cycle” portraying blockchain’s superiority by navigating a rational blockchain use case development approach. By prototyping an SDG Acceleration Scorecard to use blockchain-enabled solutions as SDG accelerators, we aim to provide useful insights towards developing an integrated approach that is fit-for-purpose to guide organizations and practitioners in their quest to make informed decisions to design and implement blockchain-backed solutions as SDG accelerators. Acknowledging the limitations in prototyping such tools, we believe these are minimally viable products and should be considered as living tools that can further evolve as the blockchain technology matures, its pace of adoption increases, lessons are learned, and good practices and standards are widely shared and internalized by teams and organizations working on innovation for development.

The Struggle for Public Recognition: Understanding Early Marriage through the Lens of Honour and Shame in Six Countries in South Asia and West Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 328-346
Author(s):  
Esther Miedema ◽  
Winny Koster ◽  
Nicky Pouw ◽  
Philippe Meyer ◽  
Albena Sotirova
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Female Sexuality ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Early Marriage ◽  
Social Standing ◽  
Public Recognition ◽  
The World ◽  
Economic Future ◽  
Different Parts

There is a burgeoning body of research on the role of ‘shame’ and ‘honour’ in decisions regarding early marriage in different parts of the world. Conceptualizing shame and honour as idioms through which gendered socio-economic inequalities are created and maintained, we examine early marriage decisions in Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Senegal. While we acknowledge the existence of important differences between countries in terms of the nature and manifestations of shame and honour, we argue that regardless of setting, neither shame and honour, nor female sexuality and chastity can be separated from the socio-economic hierarchies and inequalities. Thus, in this article we seek to identify the cross-cutting dynamic of marriage as a means to overcome the shame associated with young single women’s sexuality, protecting family honour and social standing, and/or securing young women’s social-economic future. Building on our data and available scholarship, we question the potential of emphasizing ‘choice’ as a means of reducing early marriage and advancing women’s emancipation in international development efforts. Instead, we argue in favour of initiatives that engage with young people and caregivers on the ways in which, at grassroot levels, communities may revise narratives of respectability, marriageability and social standing.

scholarly journals Depression-level assessment from multi-lingual conversational speech data using acoustic and text features

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cenk Demiroglu ◽  
Aslı Beşirli ◽  
Yasin Ozkanca ◽  
Selime Çelik
Keyword(s):  
Text Analysis ◽  
Training Data ◽  
Conversational Speech ◽  
Acoustic Feature ◽  
The World ◽  
Significant Burden ◽  
Depression Assessment ◽  
Depression Level ◽  
Text Features ◽  
Multiple Languages

AbstractDepression is a widespread mental health problem around the world with a significant burden on economies. Its early diagnosis and treatment are critical to reduce the costs and even save lives. One key aspect to achieve that goal is to use technology and monitor depression remotely and relatively inexpensively using automated agents. There has been numerous efforts to automatically assess depression levels using audiovisual features as well as text-analysis of conversational speech transcriptions. However, difficulty in data collection and the limited amounts of data available for research present challenges that are hampering the success of the algorithms. One of the two novel contributions in this paper is to exploit databases from multiple languages for acoustic feature selection. Since a large number of features can be extracted from speech, given the small amounts of training data available, effective data selection is critical for success. Our proposed multi-lingual method was effective at selecting better features than the baseline algorithms, which significantly improved the depression assessment accuracy. The second contribution of the paper is to extract text-based features for depression assessment and use a novel algorithm to fuse the text- and speech-based classifiers which further boosted the performance.

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