Table Of Contenti
Praise for
Ethical Data anD
information
managEmEnt
‘Many data-driven businesses and innovative technology companies have a poor
understanding of the ethical considerations that should underpin decisions to
collect and process personal data. However, getting it wrong can result in huge
customer dissatisfaction, damage to brand reputation, a decline in stock market
ratings, and investigations by regulators across the world.
This book challenges data-driven companies to pause and ask themselves,
“Just because we can collect and do something interesting with data, should we?”
Importantly, the book provides a framework for answering this question. And a
particular strength is that it works through ethical considerations by discussing
real-life and hypothetical scenarios.
Ethical Data and Information Management is an invaluable resource for
information management professionals (including data protection officers)
and start-up tech companies seeking to model good practice. It is an excellent
a supplement to texts that address the substantive principles of the General
Data Protection Regulation (and related national legislation), as it will deepen
the reader’s understanding of, inter alia, the purpose limitation and data
minimization principles, privacy by design, data protection impact assessments,
and the accountability principle.’ Karen McCullagh, Lecturer, school of Law,
University of east anglia
‘This is a welcome and timely book given the increasingly clear need to make
ethics as key a consideration as data protection and privacy law. Ethics are
necessary to shape values that have huge societal impact. This book places data
ethics at the core of a data-driven world that has enormous consequences not
just for individuals but for communities and broader society and indeed, as
recent events show, for democracy. Ethical Data and Information Management
will be accessible to a broad range of individuals as a general primer in the
area, or as a coursework text for students.’ Pat Walshe, Managing Director,
Privacy Matters Ltd; former Director of Privacy, GsMa
ii
‘This book could not have come along at a better time. Big data is the focus
of a great deal of attention, much of it because of unethical uses. People
working in the field need to learn about ethics, and learn quickly, and this book
is an ideal way. It is both accessible and erudite, and uses practical examples
to illustrate key points. Readers will also find it useful as a reference point and as
a guide before setting out on a project. I thoroughly recommend it.’ Paul Bernal,
author, internet Privacy rights: rights to protect autonomy
‘With the news full of stories about people abusing their access to information
for their own gain and in order to manipulate democratic institutions, it is time
to take a hard look at the ethics of data and information management. This
book is informed not only by a deep knowledge of data management practices –
particularly with respect to information quality – but also by a broad knowledge
of other subjects: ethical theories, the challenges of balancing between
individual rights and social needs, the history of the misuse of information,
the social implications of technological change, and the effort to legislate
and regulate the use of information. Add to this mix the human element of
imagination. O’Keefe and O Brien make connections that many of us would miss.
They develop thoughtful and thought-provoking analysis of this critical aspect
of information management. And they present it clearly in this readable and
engaging book.’ Dr Laura sebastian-Coleman, author, measuring Data Quality
for ongoing improvement
iii
ethical Data
and information
Management
Concepts, tools and methods
Katherine O’Keefe
Daragh O Brien
iv
Publisher’s note
Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book
is accurate at the time of going to press, and the publisher and authors cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility for loss or
damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the
material in this publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or the authors.
First published in Great Britain and the United States in 2018 by Kogan Page Limited
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review,
as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be
reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in
writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms
and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be
sent to the publishers at the undermentioned addresses:
2nd Floor, 45 Gee Street c/o Martin P Hill Consulting 4737/23 Ansari Road
London EC1V 3RS 122 W 27th St, 10th Floor Daryaganj
United Kingdom New York, NY 10001 New Delhi 110002
USA India
www.koganpage.com
© Katherine O’Keefe and Daragh O Brien, 2018
The right of Katherine O’Keefe and Daragh O Brien to be identified as the authors of this work has
been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN 978 0 7494 8204 6
E-ISBN 978 0 7494 8205 3
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
CIP data is available.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018013614
Typeset by Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd., Pondicherry
Print production managed by Jellyfish
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v
In memory of Noel Coghlan – an ethical man who understood
good filing.
In memory of Dan O’Keefe – a man of deep principles and
wide learning.
To Donn… thanks for everything.
Katherine
For Sinéad and Róisín – every day, in every way, I love you
both more and more.
Daragh
vi
THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
vii
Contents
About the authors xii
Acknowledgements xiii
List of abbreviations xiv
introduction: why write a book on information ethics? 1
What will we cover in this chapter? 1
Introduction 1
The tools of data gathering 2
The tools of data analytics 4
With great power comes great responsibility 8
The data-driven dilemma 9
The innovator’s dilemma 11
Societal value versus individual rights – the root of our own
dilemmas 12
Introducing the rest of the book 14
Chapter summary 15
Questions 15
Further reading 16
References 16
01 ethics in the context of information management 19
What will we cover in this chapter? 19
Ethics and the evolution of technology 20
The evolution of privacy and technology 24
Other ethical dilemmas 25
The drive for effective ethics in information management 30
Chapter summary 33
Questions 33
Notes 34
Further reading 34
References 34
02 introduction to ethical concepts and frameworks 36
What will we cover in this chapter? 36
Introduction 36
viii Contents
Ethical theories you should know about 39
Common elements of ethical frameworks 47
Chapter summary 50
Questions 50
Note 50
Further reading 51
References 51
03 ethics, privacy and analytics 53
What will we cover in this chapter? 53
Analytics and data science: an ethical challenge 54
What is data analytics? 55
The ethical issues in data analytics 55
Chapter summary 75
Questions 76
Notes 76
Further reading 77
References 77
04 information ethics and artificial intelligence: concepts
and thought experiments 81
What will we cover in this chapter? 81
Introduction 82
Defining AI 83
Ethical issues in AI 84
Principles for accountable algorithms 88
Specific examples of developments
in AI with ethical impacts 89
Who benefits? Justice and human dignity
in AI development 91
What does AI tell us about us? 92
Chapter summary 93
Questions 93
Further reading 94
References 95
05 ethics in the Data Management Body of Knowledge 97
What will we cover in this chapter? 97
Introducing the DAMA DMBOK 98
Data governance 98
Data architecture 105
Contents ix
Data modelling 109
Data quality management 112
Data warehousing and business intelligence 116
Data science and ‘big data’ 119
Chapter summary 123
Questions 124
Notes 124
Further reading 124
References 125
06 Developing an ethical architecture for information
management 126
What will we cover in this chapter? 126
Information ethics and architecture – what is the connection? 127
Implementing ethical architecture: common challenges 150
Zachman, ethical architecture and the l ong-term vision 151
Chapter summary 152
Questions 153
Note 153
Further reading 153
References 153
07 introducing the ethical enterprise information
Management (e2iM) framework 156
What will we cover in this chapter? 156
Building a model for ethical enterprise information
management 157
Ethics and big data 177
Conclusion 181
Chapter summary 183
Questions 183
Note 184
Further reading 184
References 184
08 information ethics as an information
quality system 186
What will we cover in this chapter? 186
Ethics as a quality system 187
Applying quality management principles to ethical information
management 190
