Managing Information

Description

Information is data that has been processed to make it useful for understanding an issue, fostering discussion and decision-making. In the context of CCAs, data is presented in the form of visualisations, slides, posters, or booklets. Data are core to CCAs, as they enable individuals without expertise in a given subject to form opinions and engage in discussions. Managing information is as much about providing data as creating opportunities to question how it has been processed into information (e.g., how and by whom the data were collected, and for what purpose). Relevant data are both quantitative (e.g., percentage of land use evolution, or temperature changes) and qualitative (e.g., experiences shared by farmers), and CCAs should include formats that allow all kinds of data to be represented and questioned, both digitally and physically. See Enabling Spaces & Tools

Organising a CCA involves deciding which kind of data to present and how to make it accessible. However, making data openly available does not necessarily mean making it accessible. Rather than overwhelming participants with large amounts of information upfront, CCAs should be prepared to respond quickly to requests for data, as overloading participants may cause them to reject proposals that appear too complex to be tackled.

How-To & Examples

Use of graphics and data visualization to facilitate understanding of data by including infographics and illustrations in flexible workbooks covering scientific findings and overarching topics such as climate justice, planned early to manage tight production timelines Klimabürgerrat South Tyrol

In some CCAs Large Language Models (LLMs) are used to support participants’ factual inquiries by allowing them to ask questions about legal aspects, historical data, or for fact-checking of climate claims during sessions CCA Catalonia.

Co-created and adaptable learning materials to foster questioning and engagement by providing booklets with note-taking sections, visual cues, and editable templates for posters, slides, and handouts CLIMAS Best Practice Case 3 Multimodal information delivery and facilitation support to ensure quality, relevance, and diversity of perspectives by compiling scientific findings, examples of participatory practices, and multiple media formats (website, podcasts, videos, handouts) to enable fact-based, solution-oriented democratic debate and also Engage with the Wider Public. Handbuch Klimaschutz, Mehr Demokratie for Klimadebatte project

Literature & Sources

Barkemeyer, R., Dessai, S., Monge-Sanz, B., Renzi, B. G., & Napolitano, G. (2016). Linguistic analysis of IPCC summaries for policymakers and associated coverage. Nature Climate Change, 6(3), 311-316.

Gebre, E. H., & Morales, E. (2020). How “accessible” is open data? Analysis of context-related information and users’ comments in open datasets. Information and learning sciences, 121(1-2), 19-36.

Tylosky, N., Knutas, A., & Wolff, A. (2025). Design practices in visualization driven data exploration for non-expert audiences. Computer Science Review, 56, 100731.