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Open question: what do you consider as "data"? How would you define "data"?
#data #datascience #rdm #fair
Background: I'm on a national committee developing guidelines for data design, collection, sharing and storage. We want an inclusive definition, capturing the full range of traditions in the social and behavioral sciences, from ethnography to RCT #openscience #transparency
We didn't know a common accepted definition - all suggestions are welcome!
in reply to El Duvelle

thanks! I'd think though that data are not necessarily about observable phenomena. Then we would leave out information about dreams, fears, and the like. Also data are not necessarily true, I would think
This entry was edited (4 days ago)
in reply to renebekkers

Interesting!
I don't think we have data about our "emotions", instead we get data about what people tell you about their emotions. And if you properly report what they tell you then it's a (true) data point.

False data ... Is not data IMO

in reply to El Duvelle

@elduvelle Ah, I see. Sometimes people have false impressions about "the observable world". Do I get it right that you'd consider these impressions also as "observable" in their answers to questions about them, e.g. in surveys or interviews?
in reply to renebekkers

yes :) like, a poll contains data about the beliefs of the people answering the poll, right?
in reply to El Duvelle

@elduvelle agreed. One thing I struggle with is synthetic data, e.g. from simulations. What would be the observable world corresponding to them?
in reply to renebekkers

"Synthetic data" or "simulated data" is pretty good in that case, and the world they describe is defined by the parameters of the simulation?
in reply to El Duvelle

@elduvelle yes - information about a hypothetical world that is only observable in the simulation