Cultivating data expertise: Comparison of approaches in geoscience data centers and academic libraries

Data-intensive research promises advancements in knowledge but requires professionals with knowledge in working with research data. As institutions extend their services to data management, an understanding of how to build data expertise into service models and staff is needed. This study examines how a mature data center, National Center for Atmospheric Research, and exemplar academic library, Purdue University Libraries, developed data expertise. Case studies of NCAR and Purdue utilize evidence from qualitative interviews and artifacts and is extended through interviews conducted with other geoscience data centers and libraries. This poster reports preliminary results, comparing approaches in data centers and libraries.Ope

Answering the Call for Data Curation: An Exploration of the Careers of LIS Professionals Managing Data

Since data curation is a new area of practice for LIS professionals, little is known about the existing workforce in this area. Using secondary analysis of the Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science data, the study examined the work, career stories and post-graduate experiences of LIS alumni who indicated that their work involved data work. LIS professionals performing data duties appeared in a variety of organizations and workplace settings. These professionals were also more likely to be managers, have a higher number of job functions and identify as both a librarian and information professional than other respondents. Five career pathways into data curation were identified

Data expertise and service development in geoscience data centers and academic libraries

eScience brings the promise of advancements in scientific knowledge as well as new demands on staff who need to manage large and complex data, design user services, and enable open access. One ramification is that research institutions are extending their services and staffing to address data management concerns. As more organizations extend their operations to research data, an understanding of how to develop and support research data expertise and services is needed. How can an organization build data expertise into their staff? This study examines how organizations develop their own data expertise and services, comparing approaches in geoscience data centers and academic libraries. Case studies of two exemplar sites are presented based on evidence from qualitative interviews and artifact collection. The case studies are extended and further informed through qualitative interviews conducted with personnel at other data centers and libraries. The study addresses how to cultivate research data expertise and staffing to support data management services. Key products include a set of expertise categories, data roles, and learning strategies. The results draw attention to the contributions that data professionals make to research projects and to ways research institutions can support data professionals and data work