Workshop Proceedings of the 15th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media
Workshop: Workshop Reports
DOI: 10.36190/2021.80This workshop focused on applying new data analytics to address the needs of the most vulnerable populations, introduce resilience in vulnerable situations, and help battle new sources of vulnerabilities. The aim was to highlight latest developments in the use of new sources of data, including web and social media, in the efforts to address the health and other needs of most vulnerable, including children, families, marginalized groups, and those at the threat of poverty, conflict, natural disaster, or epidemic risk. The workshop brought together practitioners from the humanitarian sector and researchers from around the world. Main themes from the keynotes, paper and abstract presentations, and an interactive panel concerned the development of data sharing agreements and monitoring infrastructure before potential disasters strike, although the data collection should be performed such that the populations are not harmed in the process, and the resulting insights should contribute to a holistic understanding of the situation and subsequent decision-making. Finally, the researchers should always keep in mind that, just because there is a lack of data on a population, does not mean there is no problem, as there are still vulnerable populations (such as those not using social media, or having restricted access to technology) who may need assistance and study, and who are currently bypassed by the "big data" efforts.