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Statistical power increases with sample size, rising to a 100% with an entire population for any object of study.
Data sets with global or continental or national size therefore yield the benefits of conferring statistical power on research findings.
Were this all there is to data use none should stand in its path.
But the devil always has its way of getting into every detail. And that devil can use as its corridor, governments research groups, interest groups, security/ intelligence outfits, political operatives, each tempted to exploit such data in selfish directions with doubtful public good content.
Therefore a 'bipolarism' is possible in this scenario in which at one end is the infinite good realisable via massive or pooled data on human activities and at the other end, infinite evil equally feasible. The likelier reality will be a chimera; bit of good and bit if bad with a moving average of proportions depending on what the datum is, issues or people or social strata involved and policy expectations desired.
Adequate consultations will narrow the corridors via which the devil can saunter into the deal but will never entirely close it.
Hence, such consultations must also consider what steps to put in place to punish the devil or its agents when in those instances they do manage to get in.
And remember whilst "facts are stubborn, statistics are pliable"; no matter the size of data the immense statistical power garnered from such universe of data can be manipulated to further preconceived ends; selfish or not.
Re: Nuffield Council opens consultation on use of personal biological and health data
Statistical power increases with sample size, rising to a 100% with an entire population for any object of study.
Data sets with global or continental or national size therefore yield the benefits of conferring statistical power on research findings.
Were this all there is to data use none should stand in its path.
But the devil always has its way of getting into every detail. And that devil can use as its corridor, governments research groups, interest groups, security/ intelligence outfits, political operatives, each tempted to exploit such data in selfish directions with doubtful public good content.
Therefore a 'bipolarism' is possible in this scenario in which at one end is the infinite good realisable via massive or pooled data on human activities and at the other end, infinite evil equally feasible. The likelier reality will be a chimera; bit of good and bit if bad with a moving average of proportions depending on what the datum is, issues or people or social strata involved and policy expectations desired.
Adequate consultations will narrow the corridors via which the devil can saunter into the deal but will never entirely close it.
Hence, such consultations must also consider what steps to put in place to punish the devil or its agents when in those instances they do manage to get in.
And remember whilst "facts are stubborn, statistics are pliable"; no matter the size of data the immense statistical power garnered from such universe of data can be manipulated to further preconceived ends; selfish or not.
Competing interests: No competing interests