Data Environment Mapping To Assess The Mosaic Effect

By Carol McInerney

As the 2020 Statistics Data Fellow with the Centre, I explored the mosaic effect in the context of humanitarian data. In July, the Centre provided an introduction to this topic which included a literature review and a network analysis of data from one humanitarian response context. Here, I present the outcomes of my fellowship and offer recommendations for how the Centre and its partners can continue exploring and solving the mosaic effect.

What is the mosaic effect?

The mosaic effect occurs when ‘disparate items of information… take on added significance when combined with other items of information.’ It is easy to see how this is analogous to a mosaic: pieces of seemingly unremarkable broken glass can be placed together to form a clear picture. But with my background in mathematics, I can’t help but draw parallels between the mosaic effect and formal logic.

Read more on the Centre for Humanitarian Data.