Controlled unclassified information pertains to that information which is made publicly accessible by a government entity for the general public. The information belongs to the federal government, the author and creator of the work. Also, the government can relegate the task to a trusted entity for publishing controlled unclassified information. The information can be very useful for researchers in data analysis.
Researchers often require access to sensitive information to add credibility to their research; however, they cannot access classified information. On the other hand, controlled unclassified information can help them access authentic data they can incorporate into their research. This article will highlight the importance of controlled unclassified information in data analysis.
What is Controlled Unclassified Information?
Controlled unclassified information pertains to such information which has been approbated by a government to be published and disseminated for research and informational purposes. The concerned government can also ask its trusted and partner organisations to publish and disseminate the data. However, the government retains intellectual property rights over the data, but it is made available for the general public and researchers to access.
Controlled unclassified information can pertain to government policies on matters concerning immigration, the economy, the banking sector, transportation and the taxation system. A government entity publishes controlled unclassified information to ensure transparency. However, the government ensures that the concerned publisher abides by the government protocols and policies on data confidentiality and compliance with the laws.
What Is The Importance Of Controlled Unclassified Information In Data Analysis?
Data reliability and authenticity are researchers’ primary concerns when it comes to data analysis. However, in today’s modern age, there exists an information overload, and you cannot trust the data sources whether what they are claiming is true or not. But data published and disseminated by government entities is reliable and provides a relatively approximate estimate of a particular phenomenon, event or policy. Researchers often find it hard to access classified data since the data is not available for the general public to access for various security purposes or privacy concerns. Governments are also selective when it comes to the publication and dissemination of controlled unclassified information. For example, matters concerning national security are never published widely for security purposes.
However, researchers can still benefit from the wide range of publications made available by a government on issues such as taxation, transportation, health, education, road systems, urban and rural migrations etc. Researchers can utilise these statistics and data published widely by the government entities such as the defence department or the foreign office. The data is free to access; all you need to do is visit the website and retrieve the data for analysis purposes.
Utilising controlled unclassified information for data analysis increases the reliability and credibility of the data. It makes the research look credible and authentic, and the researcher can be confident about what he or she is asserting. So, unclassified information published by the government makes the researcher’s job easier. Unfortunately, there are some authoritarian regimes and totalitarian governments in the world today that are not as transparent as other nations. These countries are against publishing the data publicly because they are too afraid to let the public gain access to the information; otherwise, the public would become more conscious about their rights and will hold the corrupt governments accountable for their actions.
How Can Researchers Use Controlled Unclassified Information In Data Analysis?
Caution must be practised when dealing with controlled unclassified information in data analysis. Governments are not always truthful about what they claim in the published information. So, researchers must evaluate the information before using it in their research. There are different ways through which you can evaluate unclassified information. Here are the steps to help you evaluate unclassified information:
Evaluate the Source
The first step is to evaluate the source and subject the identified sources to critical analysis. You must check the source’s authenticity because some fraudulent websites often pose to be the representative of government entities and publish and disseminate fake data. So, evaluating the source and accessing the data only from government-sanctioned entities is imperative. Government published by a governmental department have the domain name which ends with gov (country name if applicable). So, the first step is evaluating the source before incorporating the information in your analysis.
Identify The Exaggerations And Superfluous Claims
Governments are prone to exaggerate and overstate certain figures for political reasons. Accessing the data is not enough researchers must evaluate the data rigorously and do not accept anything prima facie. You can evaluate the controlled unclassified information published by the government entity b comparing the published sources with the findings and data of reputable think tanks, policy-making institutes and credible newspapers.
Think tanks, policy-making institutes and similarly research centres working at various research institutes are relatively impartial and do not often have political motives. Therefore, comparing and contrasting the information published by a government entity with the data published by reputable institutions is imperative. Doing so will help you identify the exaggerations and unsubstantiated claims, and therefore you can gain access to a rich data repository for your data analysis.
Get Help from Professionals
Novice researchers are often unaware of how to evaluate and analyse controlled unclassified information in data analysis. Therefore, it is best to employ a professional who is an expert in data analysis and evaluation. You can always take dissertation proposal help from expert writers for evaluating data published and disseminated by government entities.
How To Cite Controlled Unclassified Information In Data Analysis?
Citing the data sources is imperative for research since it helps you avoid plagiarism. You can cite the data retrieved from government sources in different citation formats. You can cite the data using APA, MLA, Harvard and Chicago styles. You can cite the sources manually or otherwise use citation generators such as Mendeley, Zotero and online reference generators.
Conclusion
Controlled unclassified information can be a useful source for data analysis and evaluation. Governments frequently declassify the data to create transparency, making the job of researchers easier. However, it is imperative to remember the guidelines mentioned above and use them for critically evaluating the information declassified by the government or its associated departments.
