Digital Dashboards
Digital dashboards are important tools for making complex topics understandable for both experts and the general public, and they are also used in many public sectors.
Background
Digital dashboards are not only used in professional environments for data-based analyses and visualizations, but also in many public areas, such as data journalism, public institutions or healthcare.
The pandemic has shown that dashboards can be used to present key figures and data in real time. They help communicate important information and processes to both decision makers and the general public.
Motivation
In the context of governmental risk and crisis communication, as well as in the field of civil security, a particular challenge arises: dashboard-related information is often used as a seemingly objective basis for risk-based decisions or as a control and decision support tool. As a result, official dashboards rely on citizens' individual interpretation skills, even though they may not know the origin of the data or the intentions of the communicators. However, critical decisions can have a significant impact on the social environment and technical processes, as their consequences are often unclear and can trigger cascading effects. Therefore, it is essential to consider aspects of complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity and to identify potential communication breakdowns when making decisions based on digital dashboard applications.
Method and Objective
The aim of this empirical research project is to investigate the public's use and reception of digital dashboards. A representative online survey will analyze how government agencies and public organizations use digital dashboards for public communication. The project seeks to gain insights into the specific communication characteristics and usage of these dashboards, particularly in the context of risk and crisis communication.
Research Questions
- What role do digital dashboards play in shaping public communication by government agencies and state institutions?
- To what extent do they promote trust and the reputation of these institutions?
- How transparent are the objectives and intentions of the authorities in using these dashboards?
- What is the significance of ambiguity, complexity, and uncertainty in this context?
- What particularities arise when using digital dashboards in crisis situations?
