As researchers at the Institute for Public Policy Research & Analysis at the University of Oklahoma, we recognize the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in solving today's most pressing challenges. We're proud to be at the forefront of integrating public policy scholarship with the physical and engineering sciences. Our goal? To increase human well-being, improve social choice infrastructure, and enhance resilience by addressing complex public policy problems that span natural, technological, and social systems.
A crucial aspect of our work lies in acquiring and processing massive amounts of data to help researchers untangle the "wicked" problems that hinder progress across domains of knowledge. Our extensive data repository includes over 3.5 billion tweets collected over a decade, covering topics such as nuclear energy, extreme weather events, privacy concerns, utility infrastructure issues, and wildfires. Additionally, we've conducted numerous national surveys focused on these same issues and more, and carefully weighted that data against the national census to provide a detailed understanding of Americans' views on these pressing matters.
One of our unique research projects involves a panel of Oklahomans from across the state, for which we have developed custom administrative software that has allowed us to effectively manage and engage thousands of members. This robust framework has also been tailored to accommodate the specific needs and preferences of the panelists, who have truly served as research partners to IPPRA, providing their perceptions of weather, government policies, and societal issues for over seven years. By monitoring these views over time and pairing these location-based perceptions with the Oklahoma Mesonet's highly detailed weather data, we aim to understand how people across various demographics are experiencing weather and climate and how those perceptions align with or differ with objective event data. This valuable insight will not only contribute to the development of effective extreme weather warning systems but also help bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and public understanding.
Our ability to innovate and develop solutions tailor-made for each of our projects has allowed us to push the boundaries of research and data collection. One such example is our custom in-house survey software, designed to allow our research leads to run novel experiments adapted to their specific needs. This flexibility enables us to tackle difficult problems by unleashing the full potential of our creativity and imagination, without being constrained by the limitations of off-the-shelf survey software.
To further our research endeavors, we have continued to build up other system processes and design frameworks, including custom web applications to handle our ongoing work in IPPRA’s Coding Laboratory. This effort has led to the hand coding of over 150,000 documents, featuring live weather event transcripts, tweets, Facebook posts, and more, in a rigorous system designed to allow us to identify and properly categorize that information. By leveraging machine learning techniques, we can then analyze and categorize this wealth of coded information across vast datasets with increased accuracy and efficiency. This approach not only streamlines our research processes but also helps us uncover deeper insights into complex public policy issues.
We have also created applications to assist in providing timely insights for funders and with collaborators, such as a set of custom status boards to provide near real-time updates on important issues being tracked. This, along with many other similar projects, showcases our commitment to delivering innovative solutions to help funders and collaborators meet the difficult challenges they face in understanding complex problems. By developing the necessary processes and tools, we can offer a comprehensive, end-to-end approach that drives meaningful results and insights.
Despite Twitter's recent announcements indicating their intention to limit future access to data, an issue shared across the academic research community, we remain optimistic about the trajectory of current trends in data analysis. With AI's rapid advancements, the possibilities for understanding and addressing wicked problems are expanding. As we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in public policy research, we're excited to be part of the ever-evolving landscape of data-driven innovation. In this ever-evolving landscape, we will continue leverage the power of data to uncover insights and drive solutions to some of society's most complex challenges. As we navigate the intricate web of public policy problems, we remain committed to fostering collaboration and harnessing cutting-edge technology to make a meaningful impact on the world around us.
