Fostering Data Literacy across Fields

Abstract

As technologies proliferate throughout society, the world becomes more interconnected and large amounts of data are collected, holding valuable information and knowledge. This increasing amount of data has been recognized as a resource with great potential to increase the efficiency and sustainability of organizations, cities and societies. New jobs dedicated to data are appearing and nondata experts are called to read and handle data in their everyday work. Data literacy is thus an essential skill to move forward in our information society. It is crucial for individuals, businesses, educational institutions, communities and societies to understand the value and opportunities held in the use of data, as well as the ethical, security and privacy issues that may arise from its misuse. This paper addresses the need for data literacy, studies its definition and related skills, considers the need for it from various perspectives, and discusses necessary considerations to foster data literacy across fields.