During my time at Intel I developed interest in personal data; which later allowed me to form a connection between the values of personal data tracking and "3rd world" problems. I later pitched this research project idea to Intel Foundation.

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QS4D Pascal Lola
Quantified Self for Development
Personal Data Tracking for the Developing Africa

2. Introduction to Quantified Self
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What is Quantified Self
• QS  Personal Data  Personal
Informatics
• A grass-roots movement of people
interested in self-knowledge through self-
tracking
• 90,000 and growing
• 90+ countries

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Who is tracking
Percent of Americans who
keep track of at least one
health indicator
Keep track of progress "in
their heads"
Use pen and paper to keep
track
Use technology to keep track
Source: Pew

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What are people tracking
• Weight
• Blood Glucose
• GPS location
• Texting & Calling
• Income and Expenditures
• Cups of coffee
• And many more…

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Why track personal data
• Increased self-awareness
• Data literacy
• Ownership of personal data

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Why track personal data

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Why track personal data

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Who is working on personal data
• Help people capture value in
their own data

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How to approach personal data
• Human Computer Interaction
– Research at the intersection of
technology and people
– Enable human interaction with
technology an deliver positive
experiences
– User research & design
methods and processes
• In-situ field research

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When to approach personal data
• Now
– The beginning of a new era
– The forefront of defining the
future of personal data
– Personal data exists, if we see it
or not
– Personal data literacy is low
(now)

15. Personal Data Tracking in Developing
Africa
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Personal Data Tracking in Developing Africa
• The landscape is almost non-existent given the novelty of this
research
• Opportunities to spearhead research in this area
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Personal Data Tracking in Developing Africa
• Explore opportunities for personal data tracking in the
developing Africa
– What are existing self-tracking activities?
– What ways can self-tracking help solve bigger problems present in
these regions: HIV/AIDS, poverty, illiteracy, infant mortality, climate
change, etc.
• Intel Foundation > She Will > Empowering Women in
Technology
• Target girls and women in these communities
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Target girls and women
• For example, see this story and
this story on how climate
change is affecting women in
Malawi
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Target Girls and Women
• Rural areas vs. suburban areas
• Teens vs. young and adults vs. older adults
• Single vs. married
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20. Approach

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Find an issue, cause, or topic
• Health (i.e. HIV)
• Exercise
• Family planning
• Time management
• Abuse, mental health, stress
• Economical issues (i.e. poverty)
• Education
• Entertainment
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Understand the issue
• Primary research in community
– Focus groups
– Interviews
– Diary studies
– Surveys
• Secondary research
– Look at existing work surrounding this issue
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Introduce Self Tracking Activity
• Personal data tracking as an approach to solving this issue
• Example
– Track time consumption day to day by tracking daily activities
– Track HIV related symptoms, treatment activities, etc.
– Track exercise, walking, sitting, sleeping, etc.
– Track mood, self-esteem, etc.
– Track educational activities (i.e. reading, writing, etc.)
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Experimentation, Observations, and Data Collection
• Create an experiment based on the activity
• Observe activity inputs, throughputs, and outputs
• Collect data for later analysis
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Analyze, Extract Insights, and Report Findings
• What are the conclusions drawn from the project/research
activities?
• What can we learn about self-tracking in the developing Africa
in regards to:
– The greater personal data domain
– The targeted issue
– In improving women’s well-being, education, digital literacy, self-
confidence, personal health, community health, awareness of self
• Make case for more research and projects by referencing
specific contributions, findings, knowledge.
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26. List of possible project & research
topics
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Possible topics
• Wearables as tools for personal data tracking
• Mobile phones as tools for personal data tracking
• Personal data tracking as a tool to help solve the effects of climate change
• Survey of existing personal data tracking practices
• Forming communities centered around personal data
• Digital literacy & Personal data literacy
• Ethnomathematics and personal data
• Personal data tracking in treating and preventing HIV
• A study of physical activity and sleep patterns between rural and urban
populations of XYZ country/region.
• and many more.27

28. Project Proposal TBD
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29. Thank You