An Invisible Hand for Creating Public Value From Data · Special Issue 4: Democratizing Data

Abstract:  In this article we describe how data usage statistics could be designed to reward the contributions of both researchers and government agencies, functionally creating a carrot that rewards engagement. We provide a concrete use case—the Democratizing Data pilot project—and discuss how the results could be used to develop a community-driven incentive structure, or an ‘invisible hand,’ to generate better evidence for policymakers and lower costs for the taxpayer. We also note the potential to extend the approach and platform to other data-driven initiatives, notably investments in artificial intelligence.