DataLit

Data literacy for responsible decision-making.

What can we deduce from data? What can data be used for?

What is DataLit?

DataLit is an interdisciplinary collaboration between social science, law, and computer science that develops understandable and trustworthy practices for utilizing Finnish health, social, and welfare data. The collaborating partners include many national public data authorities and organisations.

DataLit creates tools for responsible and reliable uses of register data, including methods for creating anonymised synthetic data, trustworthy machine learning models and interactive tools for visualising data. Key ethical and legal concepts, such as privacy are analysed in different technical, social, and legal contexts. The project also explores how public authorities can employ data in socially sustainable ways. DataLit identifies challenges for data literacy and enhances the data literacy of citizens and decision-makers, and contributes to public debates about data governance.

See a video about DataLit by FCAI.

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What is data literacy?

Good data governance requires both understanding of what data is and a grasp of the socio-legal-technical issues related to it – that is data literacy. Data literacy consists of understanding of how data is generated, processed, analysed, and presented, as well as the limitations of data. It is a foundation for practical skills to use data both in inference and argumentation and to evaluate its relevance. Data literacy enables ethical and evidence-based decision-making.

News

Our research project has started in the beginning of 2021. Here you can find the most recent news, posts and events.

Video lecture: From gold mine to a well-oiled machine

31.08.2022 | Legal and ethical data use, Public sector as data user

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkokqRkVA2s&ab_channel=ResearchPlatformGovernanceofDigitalPractices Heta Tarkkala: Reflections on making welfare state data a profitable resource in Finland This lecture with the full title "From gold mine to a well-oiled machine:...

Data, AI and Public Sector Governance

3.02.2022 | Big event, News

Save the date: Virtual conference on September 15th 2022 Data, AI and Public Sector Governance The conference will bring together researchers, public sector authorities and experts in the field of data and AI. The idea of conference is to open up avenues for sharing...

Examining power dynamics materialized in AI methods–based technologies

25.10.2021 | News

Marta Choroszewicz: Examining power dynamics materialized in AI methods–based technologies I participated in the networking event AI and Society, organized by researchers from DataLit, the FCAI Society, the University of Helsinki, Aalto University and Tampere...

Events

Data Paradoxes: The Politics of Intensified Data Sourcing in Contemporary Healthcare

6.3.2023

Welcome to the guest lecture by Klaus Hoeyer, University of Copenhagen Data Paradoxes: The Politics of Intensified Data Sourcing in Contemporary Healthcare April 13, 14:00-16:00, Room 114, Unioninkatu 35, University of Helsinki In April DataLit is hosting an open...