Author: K. Steven Brown, LesLeigh Ford, Shena Ashley
Publisher: Racial Equity Analytics Lab
Publication Year: 2021
Summary: The following guide by the Urban Institute is meant to guide the practice of data disaggregation when using imputation, particularly for race and ethnicity. It discusses the practices of imputation and how it is important in data fields especially when collecting data where it may not be allowed to collect race or ethnicity or other protected data fields. They state that when applied ethically, imputation can be very powerful. Ethical imputation requires a few areas that the report discusses: ensuring proper representation, not doing harm to communities, and ensuring proper community engagement methods/interest groups. It also suggests participating with accountability partners like internal review boards (IRBs), institutions or other groups that are doing similar research. It also has a good framework throughout the timeline of imputation: Invite members of the community to discuss, consult experts during the imputation process, and finally, properly inform those who the imputation and research affects. There is also a helpful checklist for whether imputation should be used, asking questions such as will the imputation fill the gaps and do benefits outweigh the risks? It also discusses auditing for bias throughout the process and if your imputation is adding more bias.