Academic librarianship as a data profession: The familiar and unfamiliar in the data role spectrum

Abstract

Andrew Cox reflects on the growing importance of data in the work of academic librarians and information professionals. He articulates a “data role spectrum” that embraces familiar skills sets like information/data literacy, training, collection management and metadata, but throws many unfamiliar competencies into the mix: data curation, integrity, analysis and visualisation. Data management offers huge opportunities to extend and enhance the skills and knowledge academic librarians have had for years. New wine in old bottles perhaps. Keywords: Research Support, Research Data Management, Data, Data Literacy, Data Curation