Module 03 — Pattern-mining your RTI corpus

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 20:07:45 +0000

2026/05/03 12:15	current
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	+	{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(activists module 03, pattern-mining your rti corpus)&metatag-description=(RTI for Activists & NGOs — Module 03: Pattern-mining your RTI corpus. Convert hundreds of PIO replies into a publishable dataset.)}}
	+
	+	====== Module 03 — Pattern-mining your RTI corpus ======
	+
	+	{{ :social:auto:activists-module-03.png?direct&1200 \|RTI for Activists & NGOs Module 03}}
	+
	+	<WRAP center round info 95%>
	+	Goal: Convert hundreds of PIO replies into a publishable dataset.
	+	</WRAP>
	+
	+	===== Standardise the response format =====
	+
	+	PIO replies vary wildly. Before tabulation:
	+	- Scan + OCR each reply (most are PDFs / scanned letters).
	+	- Tag with metadata: state, district, PIO name, date received, days to reply.
	+	- Extract numbers into a spreadsheet column.
	+	- Flag any partial or refused responses for follow-up.
	+
	+	===== Comparative tables that publish well =====
	+
	+	- Compliance speed: median + worst PIO reply time, by state/department.
	+	- Disclosure rate: % of sub-questions answered, by state.
	+	- Variance: Coefficient of variation across districts for the same metric — high CV = inconsistency / data quality issue.
	+	- Outliers: Top 5 + bottom 5 by metric.
	+
	+	===== Visualisations that travel =====
	+
	+	- Choropleth map (district / state level)
	+	- Slope chart for year-on-year change
	+	- Heat map for compliance scorecard
	+	- Bullet chart for variance vs benchmark
	+
	+	Avoid: pie charts, 3D bar charts (anti-pattern in data journalism).
	+
	+	===== Open-data publication =====
	+
	+	Publish the raw RTI responses as an open dataset (CSV + scanned PDFs in a Google Drive). This:
	+	- Enables third-party verification
	+	- Encourages other journalists to dig deeper
	+	- Builds your NGO's credibility as a data source
	+
	+	License: CC BY 4.0. Tag in datasets.gov.in if relevant.
	+
	+	===== Citing the PIO =====
	+
	+	In any publication or report, cite each underlying RTI:
	+	- PIO designation, department, address
	+	- Date of RTI filing + RTI reference no.
	+	- Date of PIO reply + PIO reply reference no.
	+
	+	This citation format is what makes the story court-admissible if your evidence is later challenged.
	+
	+	===== ✅ Quiz =====
	+
	+	Quiz available from your [[:courses:activists:app\|course dashboard]].
	+
	+	===== Next =====
	+
	+	* [[:courses:activists:start\|← Course overview]]
	+	* Next: [[:courses:activists:final]]
	+
	+	//Last reviewed: 24 April 2026.//
	+
	+	{{tag>course activists module-03}}

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Module 03 — Pattern-mining your RTI corpus