On January 30 the Law Library will host a symposium on the legal issues connected with big data collection, usage, and preservation. The library is blogging about the topic of the conference in anticipation of the event. Today we highlight the work of one of the conference presenters, Carole Roan Gresenz, an economist and professor at the Georgetown School of Nursing & Health Studies.
Dr. Gresenz recently co-authored a report which used a range of data sets to assess cancer related outcomes in the District of Columbia. Entitled "Monitoring Cancer Outcomes Across the Continuum," her work synthesizes and analyzes available data to document the capacity of the D.C. health care delivery system to provide cancer prevention and treatment services to those who are publicly insured.
The report also highlights gaps in data availability that limit understanding of cancer outcomes among District residents. On Jan. 30 she will talk about data challenges for assessing health and health care in local communities and what the future of big data holds for better understanding and monitoring community health.
An excerpt from pages vii - viii of Professor Gresenz's report:
Perhaps as notable and important as the key findings summarized above are the gaps in available information regarding key elements of the cancer continuum. In what follows, we highlight important opportunities for data collection and analysis, noting the scarcity of information for describing outcomes for certain population subgroups, as well as current limitations of data for tracking historical and future trends in outcomes.
(1) More needs to be known about cancer treatment patterns and quality in the District. More comprehensive data on treatment is needed to assess (a) the full range of treatment received by patients, (b) the degree to which treatment is in accordance with standards for quality of cancer care, and (c) variation in treatment patterns over time and across subgroups of interest.
(2) Regular, continued monitoring and timely reporting of cancer-related outcomes among District residents are essential, as is assuring validity and comprehensiveness of cancer registry data in the District. Routine, consistent, and timely reporting of cancer-related outcomes in the District is essential to guide the efforts of government and nongovernmental entities working to reduce the burden of cancer in the District.
(3) Supplementary data would provide a more robust understanding of potential barriers to cancer screening. Self-reports of cancer screening are subject to recall bias, as survey respondents, especially those who are black and Hispanic, tend to overreport screening (Rauscher, Johnson, et al., 2008). Therefore, it would be useful to supplement BRFSS data by exploring rates of screening developed from other data sources, such as claims data, and gleaning information from patient navigators in the Citywide Patient Navigation Network to identify barriers to screening among vulnerable populations.
(4) Opportunities exist to learn more about patient experiences across the continuum. Although measuring patients’ experiences with cancer care is a critical component of overall quality assessment, to our knowledge, no systematically collected surveys are conducted with cancer patients in the District regarding their experiences with cancer care at any stage of the continuum. Administration of surveys of experiences with cancer treatment, survivorship, and end-of-life care could inform quality improvement or consumer choices between cancer treatment facilities.
(5) More information is needed on awareness and knowledge of cancer prevention and control among District residents. Little empirical data are available regarding the degree to which District residents—overall, or by relevant geographic or sociodemographic subgroups—are aware of cancer risks, protective factors, or the benefits of early detection. The National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trends Survey surveys a nationally representative sample of American adults biennially regarding cancer awareness and communication and may present opportunities for identification of gaps in awareness and knowledge in the District.
(6) More attention needs to be given to understanding the regional burden of disease, patient flows across geographic borders, and regional capacity for cancer care. Many cancers treated in the District are among non-District residents, suggesting the need for exploration of the key drivers of care-seeking across District boundaries and an assessment of health care capacity that encompasses the District and surrounding counties.
Can "big data" predict the outcome of cases? How can law firms leverage the power of "quantitative legal prediction" to better serve clients while reducing costs? Law Technology News has published an interesting article presenting the challenges of this exciting technology and how law firms may benefit from "big data." Several law firms implementing these new technologies and companies providing data analysis services are profiled in the article.
On January 30th the law library will host a conference entitled Big Data and Big Challenges for Law and Legal Information. By bringing together academics, governmental staff, policy advocates, and librarians, the day-long program will examine how to use data for the public good while protecting personal privacy.
For the holiday break, the entire Georgetown Law Library will be closed December 24 and 25 as well as December 29 through January 1. We open again for normal hours on Wednesday, January 2.
On January 30th the law library will host a conference entitled Big Data and Big Challenges for Law and Legal Information. By bringing together academics, governmental staff, policy advocates, and librarians, the day-long program will examine how to use data for the public good while protecting personal privacy.
This is the first in a series of blog postings on the topic of big data.
In an interview with Lauren Drell and in the embedded video below, Thorp demonstrates how designers can use data to create beautiful and meaningful tools for historians and anthropologists to study society.
His projects create poignant narratives specifically by using data which is intentionally personal and yet publicly available. In his video, Thorp offers an especially thought-provoking statement about the crossroads of art, history, data, and by implication, privacy.
Forget soda cans, noisy snacks, and aromatic carryout in the library – how about a late-night study buddy lighting up a stogie in the carrel behind you?
In 2012, it would be pretty much unthinkable (not to mention illegal*) to allow smoking anywhere inside the Georgetown Law Library. However, a new exhibit in the Williams Library highlights a time when cigarettes, pipes, and other types of tobacco were actually welcome within the library and Law Center, as elsewhere throughout society.
Stop by the Williams atrium display cases for some photos and facts that just might “blow” your mind. And remember, the only smoking allowed (and encouraged!) around here nowadays is of your exams – best of luck!
In celebration of 125 years, the Georgetown Law Library looks to the future with a symposium of the academic, advocacy, government, and library communities on Wednesday, January 30 at Georgetown Law.
“Big data” is a term perhaps too narrow for the topic: The size of data sets is not the key to big data issues. Rather, it’s the changes in society that are growing along with our ability to discover meaning by connecting points of information electronically, across numerous, vast, and often unrelated stores of data.
This conference will examine the public good and collective harms associated with the large-scale aggregation of information from public and private sources. During the course of the day, panelists will also discuss how scholars, researchers, and information professionals use very large or complex data sets to distill meaning and develop public policy.
Registration is free and open to all. A complimentary lunch will be provided for registered attendees, however space is limited. Register now to reserve your place and view additional information at www.law.georgetown.edu/library/about/125/symposium.
Movie: The House I Live In (2012) Date: Tuesday, December 4, 2012 Time: 6:30pm (refreshments & seating), showtime 7:00pm Location: Hart Auditorium, Georgetown University Law Center
Winner of the 2012 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, The House I Live In is a gripping documentary on America’s criminal justice system, examining the politics behind U.S. drug laws, their impact upon race and class dynamics, and the unexpected toll society has paid for the War on Drugs.
After the screening, stay for a discussion of the film and issues it presents with director Eugene Jarecki. A reception will follow.
Georgetown Law Library recently acquired a 1481 imprint of the Vocabularius Utriusque Iuris [Vocabulary of Both Laws (i.e. – canon and civil law)] commonly attributed to the 15th century jurist Jodocus of Erfurt. Considered the first printed law dictionary by legal historians, the Vocabularius was first published circa 1474 in Basel. Highly esteemed as an authoritative source by early modern jurists, the Vocabularius went through nearly 80 editions over the course of the next two centuries.
The library’s copy is bound together with a 1488 imprint of the Postilla Super Epistolas et Evangelia, a 1437 collection of scripture excerpts appropriate to use in church services. This pairing would seem to indicate ownership by a canon lawyer or church official.
The binding itself is a beautiful contemporary calf with intricate blind stamping, raised bands, intact and functional brass clasps, and decorative brass corner and center pieces. The Vocabularius also has contemporary hand-lettered rubrications in red throughout (as shown in the image above), as well as a few contemporary or near-contemporary annotations.
1567 imprint of Duprat’s Lexicon Juris Civilis
Another recent acquisition is a first edition of Pardoux Duprat’s Lexicon Juris Civilis et canonici. Duprat was a 16th century French humanist and official annotator of the laws of Charles IX of France. The most influential of Duprat’s works, the Lexicon would be printed six more times in just 15 years. In addition to defining and discussing words and terms from contemporary civil and canon law, Duprat also covered some aspects of ancient Greek law. The breadth of Duprat’s scholarship is revealed by his use of not only works of earlier jurists and legal lexicographers, but of noted medical and literary works as well. His definitions go well beyond merely legal issues to discuss relevant lexicographical and philological matters. Georgetown Law Library’s copy is in a contemporary vellum binding fashioned from a scraped manuscript leaf, the partly erased text of which is still visible.
To view these and other recent rare and historical acquisitions, contact Erin Kidwell kidwelle@law.georgetown.edu or Special Collections specl@law.georgetown.edu, or visit us in Williams 210 M-F from 9am to 5pm.
In the panel discussion that followed, Professors Gretchen Rohr and Jane Aiken addressed a range of ideas and questions on mindfulness, meditation, and alternative methods for criminal corrections and rehabilitation. I was fortunate to moderate the talk, and as a result of several audience requests and my own new interest in the topic, I’ve compiled a brief bibliography of resources that I hope you’ll find helpful as starting points for researching the facts and themes presented in the film and our discussion.
