From Sensors to Knowledge: The Challenge of Training the Next Generation of Data Analysts

With the advent of commercial-off-the-shelf sensors for use in a variety of applications, integration with analytical software tools, and expansion of available archived datasets, there is a critical need to address the problem of transforming resultant data into comprehensible, actionable information for decision-makers through rigorous analysis. In previous research the participating authors have emphasized that users are often faced with the situation in which they are “drowning in a sea of data” but still “thirsting for knowledge”. The availability of analysis software, tools, and techniques provide opportunities for information collection of ever increasing complexity, but the need for the training of analysts to employ appropriate tools and processes to ensure accurate and applicable results has not been addressed. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the training of effective analysts capable of handling a wide-range of data types in this era of dynamic tools and techniques