Research Data Management: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in Data Management

EDI principles emphasise the importance of ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their background or identity, have equal opportunities to participate in research activities and benefit from the outcomes. This includes ensuring equitable access to research data and resources and integrating inclusive practices throughout the data lifecycle.   

By incorporating EDI principles into research data management, researchers can address biases, promote, and ensure representation, and generate more robust and inclusive research outcomes that better reflect the needs and perspectives of diverse communities.  

“The choices we make about the colors, shapes, words, and representations in our data analysis and visualizations can affect how people perceive the final results, how change might be implemented, and how that change will impact different people and communities.”  

Ref: Schwabish, J., & Feng, A. (2021) Do no harm guide: Applying equity awareness in data visualization. Urban Institute.  

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Order Data Purposefully. ​  

• e.g. Order data alphabetically rather than always starting with ‘white’ or ‘male’.​  

If using existing data, consider when, how and why it was collected? ​  

• Is there implicit bias? ​  

• Are there omissions of communities or voices? ​  

• Can you augment the dataset?​  

Consider your language.​  

• Avoid implicit bias and insensitivity, e.g., ‘more poverty’ could become ‘socio-economic disadvantage’ or ‘larger proportion of people experiencing poverty’.​  

• Avoid grouping minority samples under ‘Other’. Alternatives include ‘additional groups’ or ‘all other self-descriptions’. Include a list of what communities are included. Include notes on any omissions due to small sample sizes.​  

Data Visualisation.​  

• Use icons and colours with equity and race awareness.​  

• Use colours that are accessible, e.g., provide contrast. ​  

• Consider if the data needs to be presented visually or if more than one version of the data is possible.  

Adapted from: Guidelines on Inclusive Language and Images in Scholarly Communication  

See here the guide to the CARE Principles, the Indigenous Data Governance Principles.