Ownership, Aggregation, and Visualization: Exploring the Relationship Between People and Their Data

Abstract

Personal data are a commodity in the United States, yet there is little research regarding how people view, connect with, and relate to their personal data. This critical inquiry uses Google search term data and a secondary source search to generate a glimpse into the current state of personal data ownership, aggregation, and visualization. The research shows that there is a relatively low level of interest in the topic of personal data taken holistically, with personal analytics as a practice to manage and gain insight from a variety of personal data types being virtually nonexistent when compared with other types of search queries. Also demonstrated is the immense value that data story experiences can bring to personal analytics applications.