Sample questions your methodology should attempt to answer Before you call in the experts... prepare your questions ›› What is the geographical focus ever before to data. But many still lack the of your study? ›› What is the temporal focus of your study? ›› How did you measure X? a. Data source #1 i. Where and when downloaded? ii. Who was the original creator/provider? Is this source credible? How did you verify this data? iii. Publically available? iv. Did you systematically organize this data in some way? For example, by hour, or by day? v. Are there any restrictions, concerns, or challenges with this data? vi. How did you deal with missing information? vii. Search terms used, hashtags followed? In which languages? ›› What methods did you use to obtain the Researchers have more easy access than abilities or confidence to work with large data sets. In the already cash-strapped and overworked field of human rights, this puts data experts under particular strain, as they struggle to meet the many demands of their colleagues. The more educated and empowered you are to do your work, the more stress and time you will save yourself and your colleagues. That said, sometimes you need to call in the experts. Before you do, prepare for your conversation by considering the following questions: ›› What is your end goal? Being explicit about your aims helps the expert understand your request. ›› What does good support look like? Are you seeking assistance understanding bias in a specific dataset? Support analysing a data results from the collected data? stream that is new to you? Confirmation that b. Data processing and management you are on the right track? i. Process of translation, if applicable? ii. Software used? iii. Process of combining/linking different data sources? c. Data analysis i. Software/programming languages used? ii. Statistical methods employed? ›› Do you need specific or ongoing assistance? Be realistic and only ask for the amount of assistance you can afford. ›› Why this expert? Have they worked on similar cases before? Did someone recommend them? Have you considered alternatives? iii. Procedure for dealing with missing information? iv. Potential types of robustness checks and sensitivity analysis? 77