★ Definitions for data collection and registration are the result of a theoretical
framework, and empirical observational items in a given concrete context.
★ We suggest reviewing different sources to verify that the concepts and terminology
for data collection are accurate and valid. Test your definitions and assumptions
with case law and research studies.
★ In order to enrich and validate our definitions and terminology, we must review the
bibliography, talk to specialists from different disciplines, and critically analyze it,
considering the potential implications for measurement purposes.
★ Attend the particularities of your context and the diversity of voices.
Culture, gender or age configure our point of view in a differential way. It is essential
to accommodate various standpoints to mitigate biases and achieve a
comprehensive perspective in the human rights field. For example, when discussing
collective rights, how does the indigenous community define property?
When using legal and judiciary sources:
★ Remember that the interpretation of the universal human rights standards and law
relies on specific context, so it can differ according to the specificities of a case, vary
over location, time or the juries involved.
You can search judicial responses of international bodies in Latin America using
SUMMA. This database was created by the Center for Justice and International Law
(CEJIL) and grants free access to every active or closed case opened in the last
decades by the Commission and the Interamerican Court of Human Rights, the
bodies of the Interamerican Human Rights System.
★ Local law could contain systemic bias and does not always reflect a comprehensive
human rights perspective.
Sometimes using legal definitions as the main source is the best option. For
example, using the penal code as a source to define arbitrary detention. However, in
other cases, law could reflect systemic biases, based on racism or gender
discrimination. For example, in the past, law and judicial resolutions excluded
women from civil and political rights, as the right to vote; or until recently in many
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