{"id":30,"date":"2023-04-24T15:12:34","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T19:12:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/expanding-nonprofit-data-analysis\/?page_id=30"},"modified":"2023-04-30T16:30:50","modified_gmt":"2023-04-30T20:30:50","slug":"data-ethics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/expanding-nonprofit-data-analysis\/data-science-rundown\/data-ethics\/","title":{"rendered":"Data Ethics"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Overview<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li><strong>Time:<\/strong> 1 hour (10 introduction, 10 teaching, 35 activity, 5 wrap-up)<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<li><strong>Objectives:<\/strong>\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li>Understand the broader implications of using data, including potential harms<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<li>Understand your organization\u2019s ethical approach to collecting\/using data<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Introduction<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li>Write down what it means to you to use data \u201cethically.\u201d What phrases or practices come to mind? After 5 minutes of individual reflection, discuss with a partner.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<li>Compare your responses. Is it different from those who work at different organizations?\u00a0 If so, why do you think this is? Consider sharing similarities and differences with the group.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Data Ethics Fundamentals<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>As data has become more accessible in the recent past, many people believe that it is the gold standard for decision making.\u00a0 This relies partially on the premise that data is inherently unbiased and purely scientific; the saying \u201cYou can\u2019t argue with numbers,\u201d is even built on this idea as well!\u00a0 But when thinking about data, it is critical to understand that there are a host of decisions made even before the data can be analyzed.\u00a0 For example, who decides what data should be collected and why it is important to your organization?<br \/>More broadly, decisions made with data can impact people\u2019s lives in a very material way, and data can play a large role in this.\u00a0 The aspect of data science that encompasses the \u201cmoral obligations of gathering, protecting, and using personally identifiable information and how it affects individuals\u201d is called <em><a href=\"https:\/\/online.hbs.edu\/blog\/post\/data-ethics\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/online.hbs.edu\/blog\/post\/data-ethics\">data ethics<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0 Since data and technology evolve very rapidly, there is always a host of new questions that one could ask about the ethics of data.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Why is it important to explore data ethics in a nonprofit organization?<\/em><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Data ethics is important for everyone to consider, but nonprofits are often held to a higher standard when it comes to ethics as agents who seek to promote social justice.\u00a0 Additionally, nonprofits are subject to the \u201cdata imperative,\u201d which is the push towards quantifying outcomes and tracking measurable success.\u00a0 The inclusion of these measurable points of success in grants, for example, can be potentially critical in your receipt of the grant, and this grant money impacts resources for your programs, which many of you are likely already familiar with.\u00a0 Each time you make decisions on what data should be included in your reports, decide what to collect, or determine a strategy to analyze your organization\u2019s data, you are applying some kind of ethical framework.\u00a0 It is important to know and understand your own process for decision making, as well as your organization\u2019s.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Activity<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The following table has four broad ethical frameworks with an explanation, example that could relate to nonprofits, and links to explore.\u00a0 Get into four groups to be assigned one of these frameworks, and explore the links to your assigned framework for 10 minutes.\u00a0 Discuss with your group anything you find interesting and how this ethical framework may\/may not apply in your own organization.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\">\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Ethical Framework<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td><strong>Explanation\/Example\/Resources<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Deontology<\/td>\r\n<td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Explanation:<\/strong><\/span> This framework is often called the rule-based approach.\u00a0 You can decide whether the individual act is moral by attempting to assimilate it to a predefined set of rules.\u00a0 The Golden Rule (do unto others as you would have others do unto you) is a very famous part of this framework.\u00a0 More broadly, deontologists use the categorical imperative to make decisions, which is the idea that one should only act on the basis of a universalizable principle; in other words, don\u2019t make exceptions for yourself.\u00a0 The intentions of a moral actor matter: to be considered moral, acts must be done with the intention of achieving some \u201cgood.\u201d<br \/><br \/><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Nonprofit Example:<\/strong><\/span> When designing a survey to assess a program\u2019s success, I check my organization\u2019s code of conduct to ensure I am following the standards of data protection and a client\u2019s right to privacy.\u00a0 In addition, I always send information in a secure and confidential way, following legal regulations like HIPAA and FERPA.<br \/><br \/><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Links to Explore:<\/strong><br \/><\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu\/glossary\/deontology\">Ethics Unwrapped<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a style=\"font-family: inherit;font-size: inherit\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/panl\/2020\/applied-deontology-do-codes-of-ethics-create-more-philanthropic-giving\/\">PANL Perspectives<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Consequentialism<\/td>\r\n<td><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Explanation:<\/span> <\/strong>Consequentialism states that we can judge the rightness or wrongness of an act only on the consequences.\u00a0 This often involves doing a cost-benefit analysis and deciding what would produce the greatest good for the greatest number of people.<br \/><br \/><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Nonprofit Example:<\/span> <\/strong>Although my clients are slightly inconvenienced when they have to check in for their after-school programming attendance, I continue to compile this data.\u00a0 Ultimately, this will help more of my clients in the long run if I can write a grant to receive funding based on my program\u2019s participation rates.<br \/><br \/><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Links to Explore:<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu\/glossary\/consequentialism\">Ethics Unwrapped<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a style=\"font-family: inherit;font-size: inherit\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk\/2015\/03\/the-ethics-of-giving-how-demanding\/\">Practical Ethics<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Virtue Ethics<\/td>\r\n<td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Explanation:<\/strong><\/span> This moral framework seeks to understand the moral character of the individual, rather than one single action.\u00a0 Moral character is defined as \u201cthe set of virtues displayed by a moral agent, each virtue being understood as a habit of moral action directed toward a good.\u201d\u00a0 We seek to be virtuous, which are in the middle of two vices.\u00a0 For example, bravery exists somewhere between timidity and rashness.\u00a0 In this framework, circumstances, context, and cultural backgrounds are important.\u00a0 There is an emphasis on moral education and building moral habits so that explicit judgment is not required.\u00a0 We are encouraged to seek assistance from \u201cmoral exemplars,\u201d who are individuals we look up to.<br \/><br \/><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Nonprofit Example:<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong> My prior supervisor was extremely patient with clients when they sought to understand what their data was being used for in the organization.\u00a0 I take this same time to ensure my current clients understand when they ask, because it is what she would do as a virtuous person.<br \/><br \/><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Links to Explore:<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu\/glossary\/virtue-ethics\">Ethics Unwrapped<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a style=\"font-family: inherit;font-size: inherit\" href=\"https:\/\/ssir.org\/articles\/entry\/ethics_and_nonprofits\">Stanford Social Innovation Review<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Ethics of Care<\/td>\r\n<td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Explanation:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 The ethics of care has two foundational principles.\u00a0 The first is that all humans are morally dependent on one another; we do not make decisions involving morality in a vacuum, and our morality is tied to those around us.\u00a0 The second principle is that the most vulnerable individuals among us deserve special moral consideration.<br \/><br \/><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Nonprofit Example:<\/strong><\/span> When designing a survey, I think carefully about whether or not I should include immigration status information, as those who are undocumented may feel uncomfortable or unwelcome if I seek this information out.<br \/><br \/><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Links to Explore:<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bellisario.psu.edu\/page-center\/article\/ethics-of-nonprofit-fundraising-how-stewardship-and-ethics-of-care-guide-fu\">The Arthur W. Page Center<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a style=\"font-family: inherit;font-size: inherit\" href=\"https:\/\/data-feminism.mitpress.mit.edu\/\">Data Feminism<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>After exploring the links and discussing with your partners, we will rearrange the groups so that at least one person from each framework is now in a group together.\u00a0 Take some time to teach the other person about your framework and compare them.\u00a0 Together, consider examples of ways that any of the frameworks can be applied or have been applied within your organization.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Closing Discussion<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>As we have discovered, there are several ways to approach philosophical issues at the intersection of the nonprofit world and the data science world.\u00a0 Take a moment to share some of the discussions and ideas about philosophical framework applications from your own work.\u00a0 Are data-driven decisions neutral?\u00a0 How are you thinking about data ethics differently compared to the beginning of the workshop?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>As we close, it is important to remember that there is not always one \u201cright\u201d or \u201cwrong\u201d answer to many of the ethical dilemmas that you may face, nor is there one single ethical framework that fits all situations.\u00a0 This lesson was intended to equip you with some additional resources and ways to approach ethical issues that may arise.\u00a0 Thank you for joining or following along with this lesson!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Congratulations on completing this workshop! Please consider giving us feedback in our survey linked in the button below so that we can continue to improve our workshops.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-right is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-765c4724 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" style=\"background-color: #0c2340\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSdue4I_igcGBpCKuEx-KIuNT27mpoP0OqaoWS8WwQQWzxa0Bg\/viewform?usp=sf_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Feedback Survey<\/a><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" style=\"background-color: #0c2340\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/expanding-nonprofit-data-analysis\/measuring-impact\/\">Measuring Impact \u2192<\/a><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Overview Introduction Data Ethics Fundamentals As data has become more accessible in the recent past, many people believe that it is the gold standard for decision making.\u00a0 This relies partially on the premise that data is inherently unbiased and purely scientific; the saying \u201cYou can\u2019t argue with numbers,\u201d is even built on this idea as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4527,"featured_media":0,"parent":21,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-30","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/expanding-nonprofit-data-analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/expanding-nonprofit-data-analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/expanding-nonprofit-data-analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/expanding-nonprofit-data-analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4527"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/expanding-nonprofit-data-analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/expanding-nonprofit-data-analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/expanding-nonprofit-data-analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30\/revisions\/105"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/expanding-nonprofit-data-analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/expanding-nonprofit-data-analysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}