AISP Toolkit Feb25 2025 - Flipbook - Page 42
Racial Equity in Data Access
Data access generally refers to practices regarding who can securely obtain, view, or use data;
when it can be used; and for what purpose. We recommend that agencies and community-based
organizations use a multi-tiered approach to data access that begins with a clear delineation of
practical and legal data availability.
CENTERING RACIAL EQUITY THROUGHOUT THE DATA LIFE CYCLE
OPEN DATA
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Data that can be shared
openly, either at the
aggregate or individual level,
based on state and federal
law. These data often exist in
open data portals.
PROTECTED DATA
Data that can be shared,
but only under speci昀椀c
circumstances with
appropriate safeguards
in place.
UNAVAILABLE DATA
Data that cannot or should
not be shared, either
because of state or federal
law, lack of digital format
(paper copies only), or data
quality or other concerns.
The determination about which data are open, protected, or unavailable can have signi昀椀cant
implications for equity. The intended and unintended consequences of a data release or the
withholding of data may disproportionately impact certain individuals or communities. When making
decisions about data access, it is essential to have strong governance in place. Governance will help
determine whether making the data open is valuable and mission aligned or, in the case of protected
data, whether those who request access are using the information in ways that are mission aligned
and bene昀椀cial to those represented in the data. Good governance protects those represented in the
data and has clear structures to prevent data access from relying on transactional relationships.
Open data are most often available online, through search queries, static PDFs, CSV 昀椀les, and frontend data visualization tools (such as dashboards). Open data is not inherently good or bad, equitable
or inequitable. Making data more open and democratizing access to information can support equity
efforts (see MAREA, Strong Start Index, and Black Data Wealth Center). Making data more open without
thoughtful interrogation, context, and presentation can also mislead users, contribute to pre-existing
biases, and harm individuals and communities. Providing the appropriate contextual metadata, as well
as information around data release schedules and the process for requesting that data be released, is an
important step (see Child Opportunity Index and Justice Outcomes Explorer). We encourage collaborative
governance to assess and balance the risks and bene昀椀ts of whether and how to publish speci昀椀c datasets
and create an equitable and ethical open data environment in your context.
