How You Can Write More Inclusive Data Practitioner Job Postings

Thielen, Joanna; Neeser, Amy

doi:10.7191/jeslib.2019.1167

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…For example, prospective applicants with an academic library work history are more likely to have the resources and network to determine what a competitive salary is than a recent engineering PhD graduate. However, adding the word 'negotiable' with a quantitative salary range is a good DEIA practice (Thielen and Neeser 2019). This word indicates that the library is willing to negotiate with a candidate.…”

Section: + Yearsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taking a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Lens to Engineering Librarian Job Postings: Recommendations from an Analysis of Postings from 2018 and 2019

Thielen

Marsolek

2022

JeSLIB

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Objective: While diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) principles and practices have been incorporated into much of academic librarianship, there has been less focus on the job postings. Methods: In order to quantify ways in which DEIA is being integrated into job postings, we analyzed 48 job positions for engineering librarians posted in 2018 and 2019 via deductive thematic analysis, looking for trends in salary and qualifications related to education and academic or professional experience. Results: Of postings that listed a quantitative salary value, salary ranged from $45,000 to $81,606; the median was $60,750. However, only 33% (n = 16) of positions listed a quantitative salary value. For educational qualifications, we found that 98% of job postings (n = 47) listed a Master’s in Library and Information Science (MLIS) as a required qualification; however, 34% of these postings (n = 16) would accept an equivalent degree in lieu of the MLIS. Additionally, 73% (n = 35) of positions sought candidates with an MLIS and another degree; 91% of these positions (n = 32) wanted the additional degree to be in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics discipline. For academic or professional experience, 56% of positions (n = 27) sought candidates with previous academic library experience. Conclusions: Using this data, we provide actionable recommendations on how to incorporate DEIA principles into any academic librarian job posting. Our study provides quantitative data and evidence-based recommendations that can be used to make DEIA an integral part of the job postings in academic librarianship.

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Section: + Yearsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taking a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Lens to Engineering Librarian Job Postings: Recommendations from an Analysis of Postings from 2018 and 2019

Thielen

Marsolek

2022

JeSLIB

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In 2018, only 10.2% of the US adult population had a Master's degree and only 2.1% had a doctoral degree (Oh and Kim, 2020). Instead of listing these degrees by default, an analysis should be done to demonstrate how the degree(s) would help the candidate to fulfill the job responsibilities (Thielen & Neeser, 2019). Also, see if an institution offers any benefits (such as tuition reimbursement) that would allow a candidate to earn another degree while working, and if so include them in the job posting.…”

Section: Education and Experiencementioning

confidence: 99%

Making Job Postings More Equitable: Evidence Based Recommendations from an Analysis of Data Professionals Job Postings Between 2013-2018

Thielen

Neeser

2020

EBLIP

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Objective - Over the last decade, many academic libraries have hired data professionals to offer research data services. As these positions often require different types of experience than traditional librarian positions, there is an increased interest in hiring professionals from outside the typical library and information science (LIS) pipeline. More broadly, there has also been an increased interest in academic libraries and higher education to incorporate the principles and practices of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI&A) into their work. These phenomena allow an opportunity to examine the growing area of data professionals and library hiring practices through the lens of DEI&A. Data was collected from 180 data professional job positions, including education, experiences, and skills, to better understand the evolving and complex landscape of data professionals and to provide evidence based recommendations regarding how the profession can enact meaningful and lasting change in the areas of DEI&A. Methods - The qualifications and responsibilities listed in data professional job postings from 2013 to 2018 were examined. Prior to analyzing the job postings, a codebook of 43 variables was developed. The 177 data professional job postings (corresponding to 180 positions) were independently analyzed, noting the presence of each variable, including the locations and the degrees of complexity sought. After coding, discrepancies were mutually resolved. Overall, the coding process had 94% intercoder agreement, which indicates a high level of agreement. Results - Over one-third of postings (n = 63, 35%) did not use the word “librarian” in the job title. Eighty-eight percent (n = 159) required a Master’s in LIS degree, but 67% (n = 119) also accepted an equivalent degree. Over half of the positions (n = 108, 60%) were also looking for an additional degree, most frequently a graduate degree. The median salary of the positions listing a quantitative value was $57,000; however, this value may not be accurate because only 26% of job positions (n = 47) gave a quantitative salary. From the research data management skills mentioned, general data management (n = 155, 86%), data repositories (n = 122, 68%), and data curation (n = 101, 56%) appeared most frequently. Libraries were also looking for traditional LIS skills and experiences, including instruction (n = 138, 77%), consultation (n = 121, 67%), and a public services perspective (n = 69, 38%). Conclusion - The results show that academic libraries are trying to recruit candidates from outside the traditional academic library pipeline. Research data activities (a non-traditional area for LIS) and traditional LIS areas were both frequently mentioned. Overall, these job positions should be written through a more intentional lens of DEI&A. This would help to make data professional positions more diverse and inclusive, while also helping academic libraries to reach their goal of recruiting outside of LIS. A set of concrete DEI&A recommendations are provided that are applicable for writing all library positions, so that readers can put these results into action and enact meaningful change within the profession.

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How You Can Write More Inclusive Data Practitioner Job Postings

Cited by 2 publications

References 2 publications

Taking a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Lens to Engineering Librarian Job Postings: Recommendations from an Analysis of Postings from 2018 and 2019

Taking a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Lens to Engineering Librarian Job Postings: Recommendations from an Analysis of Postings from 2018 and 2019

Making Job Postings More Equitable: Evidence Based Recommendations from an Analysis of Data Professionals Job Postings Between 2013-2018

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