Investigation and research is the basic skill for doing a good job in all kinds of work. The "Work Plan for Conducting Investigation and Research in the Whole Party" proposes to "make full use of modern information technology such as the Internet and big data to carry out investigation and research to improve scientificity and effectiveness." With the help of information technology to promote in-depth research, it is conducive to comprehensively mining information, discovering problems, analyzing problems, and proposing effective solutions.
An important aspect of research is letting information and data do the talking. Today, new technologies and applications such as big data, the Internet of Things, and cloud computing have emerged, especially the generative artificial intelligence technology represented by large language models has made continuous progress, expanding the application scenarios of information technology in national governance. In this context, the deep integration of information technology and investigation and research can not only improve the efficiency of investigation and research, ensure the scientificity, accuracy and representativeness of data collection, but also improve the ability to analyze problems and provide strong support for relevant departments and local decision-making.
To improve the quality of research, it is necessary to effectively screen and use data. With the wide application of information technology, the scale of data is growing rapidly, including not only various platform data, sensor data, but also large-scale text, images, film and television materials and other digital archives, forming a huge "digital footprint". Scientific, accurate and professional analysis and processing of data can better serve the research. For example, in order to build a more scientific and reasonable bus route network, Haikou City, Hainan Province, commissioned a third party to conduct a passenger transport survey, collecting more than 60 million pieces of data such as card payment and passenger flow points for analysis, giving citizens a "portrait" of travel routes and grasping the real travel demand. Massive amounts of data are invaluable. Make good use of this wealth and work hard to help integrate resources and gather strength more effectively.
Data analysis cannot replace field research, and the combination of the two can make the research more solid and comprehensive. The use of information technology to conduct research has become a trend, but this does not mean that the work can be carried out in isolation from the traditional field research method. Research is not only about getting data, but also about having a more comprehensive understanding of the subject and the content of the survey. Numbers can reflect patterns, trends, etc., but they cannot reflect the true feelings of individuals. Due to the different methods of sample selection and investigation and analysis, there may be errors in the data itself. Adopting the "two-legged approach" of data analysis and field research not only grasps a large amount of information through data, but also captures a more real and comprehensive situation beyond the data, and the quality of the research is also guaranteed. Making good use of these two methods will effectively promote the quality and efficiency of investigation and research.
To help investigation and research with information technology, it is also necessary to make good use of various data platforms to accelerate the construction of digital technology. In recent years, all regions and departments have actively promoted the opening of public data with the establishment of open public data platforms as a starting point, and gradually improved the system for the development and utilization of public data. Statistics show that as of August this year, 226 provincial-level and above-level cities in China have launched data open platforms, and the number of public data open platforms in cities at and above the prefecture level continues to grow. These data platforms should be used to conduct surveys and studies effectively. On the premise of ensuring security, promoting the openness and sharing of all kinds of data will surely provide richer information and data for investigation and research**.
In the new era and new journey, promoting the deep integration of information technology and investigation and research, fully tapping the value of data resources, and doing in-depth and practical investigation and research are conducive to more accurately grasping the essence and law of the problem and promoting the continuous development of various undertakings of the party and the country.
The author, Tang Xiaobin, is a researcher at the National Institute of Opening-up at the University of International Economics