INASP DATA CHALLENGE: An opportunity to showcase your research findings

Deadline: 11^th December 2015

Contact: lou.delbello@scidev.net

INASP is working with the international media organization SciDev.Net to help bring the research published by people in the AuthorAID and Journals Online communities to a wider audience. One part of this is SciDev.Net’s data challenge, which is an opportunity to use data visualization techniques to representation and share research data and findings.

The data challenge initiative is an opportunity for researchers within the INASP network to engage with science journalism on the SciDev.net website while promoting their research.

At SciDev.Net we believe that science can enable development globally and is a powerful tool to fight inequality.

We are looking for scientists who share our values to help us communicate a great science story through innovative visual storytelling.

Researchers who published their work in the past year and whose research is relevant to international development are invited to submit a pitch for a data visualization. The most original and compelling story will be featured on SciDev.Net.

A panel of five participants will be shortlisted and will have the opportunity to explore options for visual storytelling with the SciDev.Net editorial team. We will work with the shortlisted candidates to tease out the structure of a gripping data-led story.

After a three-week training with the candidates, which will include a weekly webinar plus the possibility to ask questions to our editorial team in a weekly Twitter chat, the judges will select a winner whose work will appear on SciDev.Net.

What your pitch should contain:

• A short introduction explaining your research, methodology, and why it is important to the developing world. To be considered for this competition, the study must be data-led. Namely, data should be the basis or a main component of your research. Please make your explanation succinct, easy to understand and avoid jargon as much as possible. If you can't avoid technical terms, please explain them in simple terms.
• A brief explanation of your dataset, highlighting its strengths in terms of originality and thoroughness and what makes it newsworthy.
• Your ideas for a clear narrative to explain your research to the general public. We will be looking for stories relevant to current affairs and scientific challenges in the field of international development. If you are shortlisted, we will work with you to develop the narrative, but a clear idea of the story behind your study is advisable.

The pitch should be a maximum of 800 words.

Timeline

• 13^th October 2015 – deadline for submitting data challenge pitches
• 20^th October 2015 – the shortlist of five candidates will be announced and the participants will work for three weeks with the SciDev.Net team
• 20^th November 2015 – the winner will be announced and will work with the SciDev.Net team to design the data visualization
• January 2016 – development phase
• March 2016 – publication