Community-Based Air Quality Monitoring Framework

2.4 Data Use Agreement/Data Justice

Air monitoring projects must be clear about who will have access to the data they collect, who has ownership over the data, how data will be shared and distributed, and how data justice will be achieved. These resources prompt project personnel to answer these questions.

Purpose: Establish who will have access to data, how data will be owned, shared, and distributed, and how data justice will be achieved. Data justice refers to the collection, analysis, sharing, and use of data entirely in service of and with accountability to participants and their communities.

Resources:

• Data Sharing Worksheet: Guides users through the different options for data access and distribution, as well as data use guidelines and data use agreements or memorandums of understanding for sharing with external partners. (TD Enviro, worksheet, 3 pages)
• Data Justice: Discusses the promotion of truth and storytelling that rests on consent from community members seeking services and the organizations who provide services to support them (Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities, factsheet, 2 pages)

Common challenges that these resources help address: Project participants may have questions about whether air monitoring data should be made publicly available and how to protect their data. Providing government agencies with access to air monitoring data does not necessarily mean the agency will use the data for decision making. For projects with many partners, it can be challenging to reach a clear understanding regarding who owns the data and how it will be protected and preserved.