Research Tools for Problem Statement

Existing Research – Peer reviewed

Going through existing research is also known as literary review, it’s important that you are aware of the research done by others (researchers, universities, organisations, governments) to base your campaign on credible information.

Credible search engines: For your research, rely on trustworthy search engines. Use Google Scholar or other similar specialized tools for academic sources. Unlike regular search engines, they focus on scholarly literature, ensuring high-quality information. Access articles, conference papers, and theses for a thorough analysis. This strengthens your evidence-based approach and boosts the credibility and validity of your findings.
Keywords: define the keywords of your problem and write them down with commas (no sentences needed), consider variations on the terms, look for synonyms and specific terminology, and experiment and refine a few times to improve the results of the concrete problem you are trying to address. We suggest using keywords that help you define the search in social change, legislative, psychological, and audiences)
Skim and select: open a few articles whose titles you find relevant to your problem, review superficially the contents and decide quickly if it’s worth reading. Select 5 articles to read more in-depth based on identifying information that is new to you. Think about what you don’t know!

Relevant sources for research:

If you have more databases and you want to contribute to an open-source resource, please share the links here: Link For collaborative Mentimeter.

AI FOR GOOD – Using Generative AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a trending topic over the past years, the term itself refers to a broad spectrum of technologies. Within this landscape, Generative AI has gained significant attention. Generative AI encompasses systems like Chat GPT, Bard, Co-Pilot, among others, which generate content autonomously based on input data. To delve deeper into this concept, we recommend exploring the insightful open resource “We are all AI: Taking control of Technology” by NYU.

In the context of this training we suggest to use Generative AI to support, challenge, and expand the research of your campaign. Before jumping into them, it’s important to remember several key things about these AI assistants:

Pros	Cons	Risks
Process huge amounts of data: Sourcing from the internet these Ais can support by identifying trends and provide information to support your research	Quality decrease: although it can generate content quickly, these technologies repeat what there is with no ‘critical reflection’, so accuracy, coherence and ethical standards are at risk.	Ethical Dilemmas: The use of Generative AI raises ethical questions regarding accountability, transparency, and the potential unintended consequences of automated decision-making.
Saving time: for specific cases, AI’s can be used to summarize information or revise the structure/clarity of messages	Data Bias: Generative AI models may perpetuate biases present in the input data, leading to skewed results or reinforcing existing societal inequalities.	Public Perception: Misuse or mishandling of AI technologies could damage public trust, undermine credibility, and provoke a backlash from the community you are working with.
Diverse perspectives: using AI critically can provide counterarguments and feedback to your campaign	Security risks: especially in a campaign, using AI tools (free or paid) can put at risk the campaigners by using private/sensitive information. *Never use any private information (names, addresses, locations, etc)	Regulatory compliance: make sure to be in the loop of the legal conversation! Link for UNESCO on AI

Good prompting

As a computational system, AI works in “coding” logic, this means you need to think in terms of rules/instructions. The better (clear, additive, specific, with context) the rule/instruction (prompt) is the better the output. A simple formula to remember is:

Context + Instructions + Input data + Output data

(Prompting formula)

Consider the following example:

As an expert on human rights with a background in Latin-American immigration and decolonial perspectives (Context) + Review the Problem Statement I will provide and compare it with existing peer-reviewed research of its field (Instructions) + ““The stigma around construction workers in the border Mex-US (“dirty” work) is contributing to the precarious socio-economic condition of workers” (Input) + I need you to give me feedback, counterarguments, and relevant bibliography to consider (output). Do you understand what you need to do?

Copy-paste the example in a GPT and see what the answer is. As with any technology the key thing is to experiment and probe it with a healthy amount of distrust. Rule of thumb as with any information you encounter: Verify and Crosscheck!!

ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM: “THE FIVE WHYS”

The “5 Whys” methodology is a technique used for root cause analysis, aimed at identifying the underlying reasons behind a problem. The approach involves asking “Why?” repeatedly to drill down into the core issues. Here’s how it works:

Define the Problem: Clearly articulate the problem you want to analyse. This becomes the starting point for your “5 Whys.”
Ask “Why?” for the Problem: Begin by asking why the problem occurred. This identifies the immediate cause.
Repeat for Each Answer: Whatever answer you get, ask “Why?” again. Continue this process iteratively for each response. The goal is to move beyond the symptoms and uncover deeper causes. Typically, five iterations are used, but you can adjust based on the complexity of the problem.
Reach the Root Cause: By the fifth “Why,” you ideally reach a root cause or a fundamental reason behind the problem. This is the point where further “Whys” don’t yield meaningful insights.
Address the Root Cause: Once the root cause is identified, efforts can be directed toward addressing it. This proactive approach helps in solving the problem at its core, preventing recurrence.

It might be the case that there is not a linear or single root cause, and that is ok. Often social problems are multicausal and intersected in struggles. This exercise might help uncover relations and other root causes, but it will help out in defining entry points.