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As the volume and variety of data about people increases, so does the number of ideas about how data might be used. Studies show that many\u00a0people want their data<\/a>\u00a0to be used for\u00a0public benefit<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, the research also shows that public support for use of data is conditional, and only given when risks such as those related to\u00a0privacy<\/a>,\u00a0commercial exploitation<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0artificial intelligence misuse<\/a>\u00a0are addressed.<\/p>\n It takes a lot of work for organizations to establish data governance and management practices that mitigate risks while also encouraging beneficial uses of data. So much so, that it can be challenging for responsible organizations to communicate their data trustworthiness without providing an overwhelming amount of technical and legal details.<\/p>\n To address this challenge our team undertook a multiyear project to identify, refine and publish a short list of\u00a0essential requirements for responsible data stewardship<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our 15 minimum specification requirements (min specs) are based on a review of the scientific literature and the practices of 23 different data-focused organizations and initiatives.<\/p>\n As part of our project, we compiled over 70 public resources, including examples of organizations that address the full list of min specs:\u00a0ICES<\/a>, the\u00a0Hartford Data Collaborative<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our hope is that information related to the min specs will help organizations and data-sharing initiatives share best practices and learn from each other to improve their governance and management of data.<\/p>\n We also think the min specs can help people know what to expect of responsible data stewards. To support people in using the min specs, we translated them into plain language questions that individuals can pose to the organizations that collect, use or share their data:<\/p>\n Legal<\/strong><\/p>\n 1) What laws, consent forms or other documents give you the authority to collect, use or share data?<\/p>\n Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n 2) Where do you publicly state the purpose behind your data-focused activities?<\/p>\n 3) Which committee or group is accountable for important decisions such as who can use data and how they can use it?<\/p>\n 4) How do you achieve transparency about your data holdings, data access policies and other information that people want to know about their data?<\/p>\nMinimum specification requirements<\/strong><\/h3>\n