The document discusses the challenges researchers face in accessing public datasets, highlighting a cumbersome workflow that involves multiple steps and reliance on others for data availability. It suggests that improved design and user experience could streamline this process by reducing unnecessary difficulties. The author argues that better software and empathy towards users can enhance data accessibility for the research community.

1. How the public data platform can
disrupt the research community

2. “This is why I can’t be angry”

3. Increasing access to data

5. Increasing access to data

6. A typical workflow now

7. 1. Make the dataset

8. 1. Make the dataset
2. Go to the organization or university’s website

9. “*I* don’t even use the FFIEC website to get HMDA data because it’s not
formatted correctly.”

10. 1. Make the dataset
2. Go to the organization or university’s website
3. Hope your boss gives it to you

12. 1. Make the dataset
2. Go to the organization or university’s website
3. Hope your boss gives it to you
4. Hope the researcher lets you have it

13. “I contact the original principal investigator (or their secretary), explain what
I want it for…and if they think my reason for wanting it is good enough, they
email it to me, probably as a .zip file.”

14. 1. Make the dataset
2. Go to the organization or university’s website
3. Hope your boss gives it to you
4. Hope the researcher lets you have it
5. Ask around for it on listservs, mailing lists

15. 6. Reddit (seriously)

16. Alright! I got it! Now what do I do?
Is the data complete?
Is the data correct?
Is the data in a format I can use?

17. Alright! I got it! Now what do I do?
Is the data complete?
Is the data correct?
Is the data in a format I can use?

18. Alright! I got it! Now what do I do?
Is the data complete?
Is the data correct?
Is the data in a format I can use?

19. Alright! I got it! Now what do I do?
Is the data complete?
Is the data correct?
Is the data in a format I can use?

20. This process is a pain in the ass.

21. People are territorial

22. Software is expensive and superfluous

23. Data is getting bigger

24. Sounds like a design problem to me!

25. A better workflow

27. We can eliminate the majority of the cruft
some researchers go through *just* to start
doing their work.

28. 1. Make the dataset
2. Go to the organization or university’s website
3. Hope your boss gives it to you
4. Hope the researcher lets you have it
5. Ask around for it on listservs, mailing lists
6. Reddit

30. Software

32. Time Money People

33. Empathy and user experience

34. Good design solves problems.