Infrastructure bias

In economics and social policy, infrastructure bias is the influence of the location and availability of pre-existing infrastructure, such as roads and telecommunications facilities, on social and economic development.

In science, infrastructure bias is the influence of existing social or scientific infrastructure on scientific observations.

In astronomy and particle physics, where the availability of particular kinds of telescopes or particle accelerators acts as a constraint on the types of experiments that can be done, the data that can be retrieved is biased towards that which can be obtained by the equipment.

Procedural bias, related to infrastructure bias, is shown by a case of irregular genetic sampling of Bolivian wild potatoes.^[1] A 2000 report of previous studies' sampling found that 60% of samples had been taken near towns or roads, where 22% would be the average, had the samples been taken at random^[1] (or from equidistant points, or at specifically varying distances from towns, representative of the average terrain density).

References

1 2 "Assessing the geographic representativeness of genebank collections: The case of Bolivian wild potatoes" (PDF). Diva Geographic Information System.

Biases

Lists of biases	General Memory

Cognitive biases	Acquiescence Anchoring Attentional Attribution Authority Automation Belief Blind spot Choice-supportive Confirmation Congruence Cultural Distinction Egocentric Emotional Extrinsic incentives Fading affect Correspondence Halo effect Hindsight Hostile attribution Impact In-group Negativity Normalcy Optimism Outcome Precision Pro-innovation Response Restraint Self-serving Social comparison Status quo Time-saving Trait ascription Zero-risk In animals

Statistical biases	Estimator Forecast Healthy user Information Lead time Length time Non-response Omitted-variable Participation Recall Sampling Selection Self-selection Social desirability Spectrum Survivorship Systematic error Systemic Verification Wet

Other biases	Academic Exponent Funding FUTON Inductive Infrastructure Inherent in education Media Net Publication Reporting White hat

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