Welcome! When working with any data, it is important to get the full story of that dataset or collection so that you know how to use it conscientiously and how it fits into your work. How was it gathered and by whom? Are there rules about how it can be used? Has it been deprecated by its creators for containing out of date or harmful information?
This guide is for anyone who deals with data: whether you're an engineer well-versed in machine learning and looking for more inclusive training data, or a researcher experimenting with turning your historical records into data for the first time, or perhaps a student just getting started in data science.
It is easy to get overwhelmed with the many guides to datasets available. This research guide focuses on building both technical and critical skills to work with data conscientiously, in order to achieve results that are more inclusive and considered. The guide introduces some of the ethical considerations we all make every day (whether conscious of them or not); considering these choices carefully can also make for more efficient, more stable, more sustainable, and more robust results that can stand up to scrutiny.