peopleattributes

People attributes are properties or characteristics used to describe individuals in datasets, analyses, and research. They help identify patterns, segment populations, and tailor interventions or services. Attributes can be static, such as date of birth or ethnicity, or dynamic, such as employment status or recent location, and they are collected from a variety of sources for different purposes.

Common categories include demographic attributes (age, gender, race/ethnicity, education level), geographic attributes (country, region, urban/rural status), and socioeconomic attributes (income, occupation, housing tenure). Behavioral attributes capture actions over time, such as purchase history, web activity, or engagement with programs. Psychographic attributes reflect attitudes, values, interests, and personality traits, though these are often derived from surveys or analysis of content. Biometric attributes like fingerprints or facial features are unique identifiers but subject to stringent privacy protections.

Collection methods include surveys, censuses, administrative records, and data from online platforms or sensors. Data quality considerations emphasize completeness, accuracy, timeliness, consistency, and representativeness. Standardization and interoperability are important to enable comparisons across studies and systems, but attribute definitions can vary by context and culture.

Privacy and ethics are central to handling people attributes. Many attributes are sensitive (health, income, ethnicity) and require informed consent, minimization, secure handling, and access controls. Anonymization and de-identification are common practices, though re-identification risks persist. Responsible use involves transparency about purposes, impact assessments, and measures to prevent discrimination or bias in decision-making.

Applications span targeted marketing, public health, urban planning, social science research, and policy evaluation. See also data attributes, personally identifiable information, and data governance.