Rights Intelligence Methodology FAQs

We get lots of questions about the Rights Intelligence methodology and have turned some of them into these FAQs. Here they are!
If you have a question that isn’t answered here - please feel free to contact us.

Q1. Are each of the Rights Intelligence scores simply an average of sub-indicators, or are they differently weighted?

Neither. The three Right Intelligence scores are not a simple average of sub-indicators, nor a weighted average of sub-indicators.

The Rights Intelligence dataset is produced using a Bayesian statistical model that estimates how much our indicators (the observable outcomes we have data on) are affected by countries' human rights practices (which we can't observe). Based on thousands of iterations, this model allows us to understand the possible range of human rights practices for each country in the world. The range is reflected in the uncertainty scores. We use this approach because we recognise that human rights practices are complex, multifaceted, and practically impossible to observe directly. This approach allows us to bring together all the available information, even when different indicators are available for different countries.

Q2. How are the Safety from the State and Empowerment scores calculated for countries for which HRMI does not have data on the publicly available Rights Tracker?

HRMI’s civil and political rights data on the Rights Tracker come from an annual multi-lingual expert survey. This is being run in around 40 countries, and the data collected is the best possible data available.

The Rights Intelligence methodology uses the HRMI survey data PLUS other publicly available civil and political rights data sources. Our Bayesian statistical model produces high-quality estimates conditioned on this data. Countries where there are less available data will tend to have a higher standard deviation (and so a wider gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles). The standard deviation and 10th and 90th percentiles are also affected by several other factors, such as whether the different data sources are telling us the same thing or not.

For both the survey and non-survey countries you can know you are getting the best possible data available. As HRMI expands its survey, these data will get even better.

Q3. Can you give a snapshot of the underlying methodology and inputs for the Rights Intelligence dataset scores?

We have not yet published a complete Rights Intelligence methodology. However, there is a description of the Rights Intelligence methodology in Appendix F (p 47) of this recent World Bank publication:

“The Potential Implications of Economic and Social Rights for Sovereign Debt investing”. Gratcheva, Ekaterina M.; O’Reilly Gurhy, Bryan; Wang, Dieter; Brook, Anne-Marie; Clay, K. Chad; Randolph, Susan. Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions Insight Washington, D.C. : World Bank Group (2023).

Essentially, the methodology inputs the publicly available Rights Tracker scores into a Bayesian latent variable model to produce country scores for all countries in the world.

• For economic and social rights, the Rights Tracker scores are the sole input into the Rights Investor Economic and Social Rights category scores. This methodology solves the problem that economic and social indicators are not all available for all countries (which results in data gaps on the Rights Tracker).

• For civil and political rights the inputs include the Rights Tracker scores (for the countries available) and other publicly available data.

You can also get detailed information on how the Rights Tracker data – which feed into the Rights Investor dataset – are produced. For example, we have some short, animated videos which explain the economic and social rights methodology and the civil and political rights methodology that underpins the Rights Tracker. The methodology handbooks give greater detail.

Q4. What is the data lag and expected update frequency?

Update frequency: The data are annual frequency, and we expect to publish updates throughout the year, refining the accuracy of the scores as more data become available.

Timing: HRMI publishes an annual update of the Rights Tracker data each June. Since these are the main input into the Rights Investor dataset, we expect to publish the first Rights Investor updates each year in approximately August.

Data lag: The data lag is quite short for the civil and political rights data (Safety from the State and Empowerment categories). For example, data published in September 2023 will include scores for the 2022 calendar year. For the economic and social rights scores the data lag is longer as we draw on publicly available statistics that are themselves quite lagged. For example, the latest economic and social rights scores we have right now (mid 2023) are for the 2020 calendar year. Looking ahead, we have ideas for projecting those data series forward.

Q5. Can we get access to the underlying data inputs?

You can access some of the underlying data inputs on the Rights Tracker. For more detail - see our insights article Exploring the Rights Tracker. The Rights Investor dataset also draws on other data inputs as well. Further information is available to members/subscribers.

Q6. When scores yield surprising results, how can we understand what is driving them?

If you are surprised by any Rights Intelligence scores, we encourage you to visit the Rights Tracker. For example, one user of the Rights Intelligence dataset was surprised by how well Palestine and Iran scored on the economic and social rights dataset. To understand why, we encouraged them to visit the Rights Tracker Quality of Life pages for Palestine and Iran, scroll down to the Full Details section, toggle between the ‘scores’ and ‘indicators’ and explore the time series charts. Neither of these countries are (yet) part of our expert survey, so people at risk data, qualitative data, and HRMI civil and political rights scores are not yet available on the Rights Tracker. But you can still learn a lot.

For users new to the Rights Tracker, we recommend this short video tour introduction, to make sure you get the most from the Rights Tracker.

You an also read our insights article Exploring the Rights Tracker.