Going qual in: Towards methodologically inclusive data work in academic libraries

Abstract

Data literacy and research data services are a growing part of the work of academic libraries. Data in this context is often presumed to mean only numeric data or statistics, leaving open the question of what role qualitative research plays in services and programming for research data and data literacy. In this paper, we report on the results of interviews with academic librarians about their understanding of data literacy, qualitative research, and academic library infrastructure around qualitative research. From the interviews, we propose a model of data literacy that incorporates both interpretive and instrumental elements. We conclude with suggestions for incorporating qualitative data and analysis methods into academic library programming and services around data literacy and research data.