Search Results

We live a data rich world and “open data” initiatives have made unprecedented amounts of crime, criminal justice, demographic, and land use data available to academics, professionals, and citizens alike. The data are not useful unless we know what is available, how to access it, and what tools to use to make sense of it. Students will gain competence in each of these areas as we investigate: Why is open data, particularly related to crime and justice, so important? How can the availability of such data increase citizen participation in civil society? How might open data help us move toward a more just society? Should we become advocates for using the data? Students will conduct weekly exercises that focus on finding data and then getting actual and actionable information out of it and a final project.