Public attitudes towards data-driven responses to the COVID-19 pandemic: A Public Perceptions and Expectations Study

On 9th September 2021, Dr Guangquan Li will present findings from omddac’s Public Perceptions and Expectations Study at the Royal Statistical Society 2021 International Conference.

Abstract: Data‐driven responses to the COVID‐19 pandemic are being developed at speed across the public sector, academia and the commercial sector. At omddac (Observatory for Monitoring Data-Driven Approaches to Covid-19), we are analysing key data-driven responses to COVID-19 and collating lessons learned throughout the pandemic by way of stakeholder interviews, case study analysis, representative public surveys and practitioner-focussed guidelines. In this talk, I will describe the Public Perceptions and Expectations Study, a survey-based study to understand the public attitudes towards the use of data for responding to COVID-19 in the UK. This study comprises of two data collection stages. At the first stage we collect quantitative data from a representative sample of the UK population to gain overall insights into public attitudes around the use of different data types (e.g. identifiable, anonymous) to respond to COVID‐19 in different contexts (e.g. health, security). At the second stage we deploy follow-up studies with specific sections of the population to investigate the insights gained in the first nationally representative survey in more detail. I will highlight key findings from the study and discuss the implications and lessons learned throughout this period. I will outline how these findings, together with those from other work packages within the interdisciplinary elements of omddac, will be integral to informing both policy and public thinking regarding pandemic management.