“Index the World for the Future”—this was the theme for the New Year 2022 Global Index Symposium jointly held by the BFSU Academy of Regional and Global Governance and Indexpedia in the multi-purpose hall at the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press on Friday, 31^st December. Celebrating the culmination of BFSU’s pathbreaking work in index research led by university president Yang Dan, the symposium witnessed the unveiling of the Declaration on the Ethics of Indices.

Declaration on the Ethics of Indices (Beijing 2022)

We live in a world shaped by the indices we have created for ourselves. The drive to produce these indices lies in our universal need for a simpler way of understanding the world. Like a form of virtual and augmented reality, indices have a profound impact on our understanding of our lives, influencing both the subjective and objective world in which we live. Whether indices serve as a commodity or a public good, their design, dissemination and use should be carried out under a common ethical framework.

I. We advocate that indices should be grounded in the principle of justice.

Academic independence.

Indices portray research objects using simplified and quantitative methods and it is inevitable that, during the design process, some form of professional knowledge and subjective judgement will be required. We must, as far as possible, aim to anticipate and avoid any subjective bias from entering the design process. Likewise, we should anticipate and avoid any possible misinterpretations that may arise through the circulation and use of an index. The development, publication and use of indices should be independent of factors such as improper interests, the researcher’s reputation, and external influences.  

Fair Competition.

Each index should be able to compete fairly in the knowledge market in a way that promotes the development of the index and maximizes its contribution to society. Developers and stakeholders should not pursue individual interests to the detriment of the overall interests of society.

Non-discrimination.

We reject all use of indices as a means for discrimination. The design and interpretation of indices should not be based on race, color, gender, belief, or any other discriminating factor that may lead to unjust results. We oppose the politicization, stigmatization and vulgarization of indices.

Balanced development.

We will promote a balanced approach to the development of indices that focuses on high-quality growth. We aim to bring more indices to more people and ensure that indices can fairly assess and reflect the lives of the broader population. We will eliminate the "index divide" and "index poverty," oppose discourse hegemony, and aim to prevent indices from becoming inflexible measures that are not adjusted when conditions change. We will correct global imbalances in index development, publication and distribution, and reduce the inequality of index opportunities caused by language, technology and cultural differences.

II. We advocate that indices should be based on the principle of openness.

The development of indices calls for the international community to work together. We are committed to facilitating global cooperation through extensive consultation, joint contribution and international exchange. We call for indices to be open and accessible, and believe that ultimately, indices should become public goods. We aim to provide the public with quicker and more efficient use of the results of indices, while also supporting those involved to take on more extensive and efficient participation in the development of index products and services.     

III. We advocate that indices should be founded on the principle of science.

We believe that the utmost attention, care and professionalism must be taken in each stage of the index process, from defining subject matter and content to carrying out index design, data collection, publication, distribution, interpretation, and use for decision making. Indices should reflect their research objects in a way that is as thorough, objective, fair and neutral as possible. We will do our best to make sure that subjective judgements and professional analysis are science-based and reasonable. We will take on the responsibility to apply the latest methods and tools in this endeavor.

We must never forget that when we use indices to evaluate the world, we are taking on the responsibility of establishing standards and setting the future for the international community.

Indexpedia

January 1, 2022