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| 56064 | how do we choose topics? | how-do-we-choose-topics | wp_block | publish | <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We cover a topic if we believe it helps our readers understand one or several of the world’s largest problems. More specifically, this means that a topic will fit many of the following criteria:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><li><strong>It affects many countries and people.</strong> This can mean that it concerns every person, such as <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/health-meta">health</a>. It can mean that it affects many people in all countries, such as <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/poverty">poverty</a>. Or it can mean that it affects many people in fewer countries, such as <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/malaria">malaria</a>.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><li><strong>It comes with great costs or benefits. </strong>The costs or benefits can be direct, and shorten people’s lives or mean they lead happier lives. An example is the <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus">COVID-19 pandemic</a>, which has immediately affected people’s well-being. But the costs or benefits can also be indirect, and worsen or alleviate other problems. An example is <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/agricultural-production">agricultural production</a>, which affects many people’s access to nutrition.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><li><strong>It poses significant risks.</strong> This means that it may not impose great costs at the moment, but may do so in the future. An example is <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/nuclear-weapons">nuclear weapons</a>, which have not been used in decades but whose use would be devastating.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><li><strong>It will remain important, or become more important in the future.</strong> <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/poverty">Poverty</a> is an example of a topic that will remain important, as many people remain impoverished even if fewer people live in extreme poverty than in the past. <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/artificial-intelligence">Artificial intelligence</a> is an example of a topic that will become more important, as technological advances continuously expand its effects on people’s lives.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><li><strong>It is helpful to understand other topics.</strong> Many of the topics we focus on are problems in themselves. But we also provide data and research on major changes that help us understand and address these problems. An example is <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/world-population-growth">population changes</a>, which are crucial to better understand energy and education needs.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><li><strong>It is poorly understood.</strong> This means the public knows little about a problem or frequently misunderstands it, such as because the data on it is not described well. An example is <a href="http://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution">plastic pollution</a>, where data and research were often missing from the public conversation.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><li><strong>It is neglected elsewhere.</strong> This can mean that other organizations do not cover it, or do so in a limited fashion. An example is <a href="http://ourworldindata.org/biodiversity">biodiversity</a>, where data on global changes are hard to find elsewhere. This also means that if others cover a topic well, we are less likely to cover it ourselves.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><li><strong>We have expertise on it.</strong> If we have someone on our team with deep knowledge of the area, we are more likely to cover the topic. Ideally, we would have both a researcher and a data scientist with this expertise. An example is <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/democracy">democracy</a>, where we expanded our work as our team grew.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><li><strong>We have funding available for it.</strong> While most of our funding comes from unrestricted resources, including <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/donate">reader donations</a>, we partially fund our work through restricted grants. Importantly, we only apply for them if they are on topics we want to cover in depth anyway, and the grant does not come with any requirements on <em>how</em> to cover the topic.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We evaluate ourselves how a topic fits these criteria. But we rely heavily on related research, especially research that is peer-reviewed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> | {
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We cover a topic if we believe it helps our readers understand one or several of the world’s largest problems. More specifically, this means that a topic will fit many of the following criteria: * **It affects many countries and people.** This can mean that it concerns every person, such as [health](https://ourworldindata.org/health-meta). It can mean that it affects many people in all countries, such as [poverty](https://ourworldindata.org/poverty). Or it can mean that it affects many people in fewer countries, such as [malaria](https://ourworldindata.org/malaria). * **It comes with great costs or benefits. **The costs or benefits can be direct, and shorten people’s lives or mean they lead happier lives. An example is the [COVID-19 pandemic](https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus), which has immediately affected people’s well-being. But the costs or benefits can also be indirect, and worsen or alleviate other problems. An example is [agricultural production](https://ourworldindata.org/agricultural-production), which affects many people’s access to nutrition. * **It poses significant risks.** This means that it may not impose great costs at the moment, but may do so in the future. An example is [nuclear weapons](https://ourworldindata.org/nuclear-weapons), which have not been used in decades but whose use would be devastating. * **It will remain important, or become more important in the future.**[Poverty](https://ourworldindata.org/poverty) is an example of a topic that will remain important, as many people remain impoverished even if fewer people live in extreme poverty than in the past. [Artificial intelligence](https://ourworldindata.org/artificial-intelligence) is an example of a topic that will become more important, as technological advances continuously expand its effects on people’s lives. * **It is helpful to understand other topics.** Many of the topics we focus on are problems in themselves. But we also provide data and research on major changes that help us understand and address these problems. An example is [population changes](https://ourworldindata.org/world-population-growth), which are crucial to better understand energy and education needs. * **It is poorly understood.** This means the public knows little about a problem or frequently misunderstands it, such as because the data on it is not described well. An example is [plastic pollution](http://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution), where data and research were often missing from the public conversation. * **It is neglected elsewhere.** This can mean that other organizations do not cover it, or do so in a limited fashion. An example is [biodiversity](http://ourworldindata.org/biodiversity), where data on global changes are hard to find elsewhere. This also means that if others cover a topic well, we are less likely to cover it ourselves. * **We have expertise on it.** If we have someone on our team with deep knowledge of the area, we are more likely to cover the topic. Ideally, we would have both a researcher and a data scientist with this expertise. An example is [democracy](https://ourworldindata.org/democracy), where we expanded our work as our team grew. * **We have funding available for it.** While most of our funding comes from unrestricted resources, including [reader donations](https://ourworldindata.org/donate), we partially fund our work through restricted grants. Importantly, we only apply for them if they are on topics we want to cover in depth anyway, and the grant does not come with any requirements on _how_ to cover the topic. We evaluate ourselves how a topic fits these criteria. But we rely heavily on related research, especially research that is peer-reviewed. | {
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