Data Management: Knowledge and skills required in research, scientific and technical organisations. Mary Anne Kennan Associate Head, School of Information Studies. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES, FACULTY OF ARTS AND EDUCATION
Context of the study • Australia is a vast country • CSU a regional multi-campus university, mostly in NSW • Flexible and distance education • Need for data management courses? SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES, FACULTY OF ARTS AND EDUCATION
Introduction Organisations need data librarians and managers to enable better use, management, curation, and preservation … Yet data professionals “new breed” for whom knowledge and skill requirements emerging? SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES, FACULTY OF ARTS AND EDUCATION
Literature and questions Increasing literature – in written paper Questions: 1. Where, and in what roles, are data librarians, managers and scientists likely to be employed; 2. What knowledge and skills are required of people working in data librarianship and management roles; and, 3. What are the educational and training requirements for data librarians and managers? SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES, FACULTY OF ARTS AND EDUCATION
Method • 36 practicing data professionals and their employers or supervisors • interviewees were located in libraries, information and/or data management departments and IT units. • Individual and group interviews were conducted • this paper only reports the interviews from the 25 participants from the scientific research organisations and universities . SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES, FACULTY OF ARTS AND EDUCATION
Roles of data librarians and data managers • Participants worked in libraries, other information departments, and in specialist data units of universities and scientific organisations. • There was a huge range of job titles. • Data Librarian, Data Manager, Data Consultant, Data Support Officer, Data Archivist. • E-Research Librarian, E-Research Manager • Generic – e.g. Project Officer • But … most library and information staff NEED to understand data SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES, FACULTY OF ARTS AND EDUCATION
Knowledge and skills requirements – non data specific • Interpersonal skills and behavioural characteristics • Contextual knowledge • Training and advocacy • Team work • Management SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES, FACULTY OF ARTS AND EDUCATION
Knowledge and skills requirements – data specific • Data types and • Data analytics • Data curation contexts • Data processes • Metadata • Legal and regulatory • Discovery frameworks SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES, FACULTY OF ARTS AND EDUCATION
Information Technology • Important to have “ just enough” of an understanding of IT 1. To bridge the perceived communication gap between IT departments and researchers 2. To understand IT options and make informed decisions • Be “programming savvy” rather than be a programmer SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES, FACULTY OF ARTS AND EDUCATION
Education & Training Current Future • Librarians • Librarians “with more” • Information • Scientists “with more” • Short courses Technologists • Scientists • MIS with specialisation • Graduate Certificate Learned “on the job” SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES, FACULTY OF ARTS AND EDUCATION
Conclusions • Obvious v. evidence • Difference – data curation only an emerging need • Scientific organisations require scientific knowledge • Curricular questions SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES, FACULTY OF ARTS AND EDUCATION
Thank you! Questions? SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES, FACULTY OF ARTS AND EDUCATION
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