Externalization of Unexplored Data with Data Origination: Case Analysis of Person-to-Object Contact Data During COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

Various industries worldwide have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the gaps between social systems and forcing major transformations of our lives. To understand and mitigate the phenomena related to the unprecedented danger of COVID-19, we have become acutely aware of the importance of data distribution, exchange, and sharing across fields;indeed, various data are published and used in decision-making processes. However, although many international organizations and companies have been publishing data and adopting relevant measures, data sharing regarding the question of what data are required for any purpose is insufficient;that is, data are principally provided by organizations who publish the data unilaterally;currently, data-related needs are not shared or leveraged. To address this issue, we introduce the concept of “data origination.” Data origination is the act of designing/acquiring/utilizing data that considers the subjective knowledge and diversity of perspectives of humans, and that aims to elucidate and support this process. We also discuss a case study of data needs and unexplored data externalization conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on data origination. © 2023, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.