About Data Detective
The aim of Data Detective is to show how and why data are shared in research. People are assigned to two teams, each with different data. They are asked complete some simple sums to identify which school is going to be hit next by the outbreak of a disease.
The data are fixed so that both teams come up with different answers. It transpires that they need to share data in order to get the correct answer. So the teams go through a series of checks and steps to share their data with each other and recalculate their sums.
Learning outcomes
The game draws upon a range of skills including:
- Reading skills – players must follow a set of written instructions and read and sign data sharing forms
- Comprehension skills – players must listen to the Chief Scientist to understand their challenge and what needs to be done to complete the game
- Mathematics: players must familiarise themselves with the structure and information stored in a simple dataset and use that information to carry out a series of calculations and make recommendations
Information for teachers and parents
Using the example of an infectious disease, Data Detectives will demonstrate that:
- There are many ways in which our physical and social environments influence health. Researchers use data, such as health records and census data, to understand more about this.
- The data that researchers use are only made available under a strict set of conditions, including that the data are anonymised and stored securely
- Sometimes data sharing is essential in order to get the right answers.
- In these situations, data are shared safely, they are only shared among approved persons, and they are only used to answer pre-specified and approved research questions.