Is data curation education at library and information science schools in North America adequate?

Abstract

Purpose -This study aims to present the results of a survey of library and information science (LIS) schools' websites used to determine if the number of data curation courses offered is adequate to address the needs of the so-called "data deluge". Many authors have identified a gap in the education of LIS students for data curation. Design/methodology/approach -This study surveyed the websites of LIS schools in North America to identify data curation courses. It reviewed and analyzed course descriptions, objectives and syllabi (when available) as well as compared course objectives, requirements, topics, assignments, and projects of the identified courses. Findings -Of the 52 LIS schools in North America's websites examined in this study, 16 institutions offered courses on data curation. The increase in the number of schools offering courses in data curation showed that LIS schools are responding to the demand for data curation professionals. More LIS schools need to add data curation to their curriculum. LIS schools currently offering data curation courses should continue to work together to determine the optimal course objectives and learning outcomes. Originality/value -Although there are several papers focused on particular data curation programs at a few universities, there are no papers that provide an overall view of the status of data curation education in higher education institutions today. This research will be of value and interest to LIS educators and professionals to determine if there is adequate education in place and to identify and evaluate the current state of data curation education.

Bibliometrics and Research Data Management Services: Emerging Trends in Library Support for Research

“…Recent IMLS-funded innovations include a proposed four-course graduate academic certificate in digital curation and data management at the University of North Texas (Harris-Pierce & Liu, 2012;Keralis, 2012), which exemplifies an emerging trend within LIS programs to offer RDM education for other disciplines; the new certificate is aimed at retraining librarians, but one course on cyberinfrastructure fundamentals is open to graduate students from other disciplines (Keralis, 2012;University of North Texas, 2011). Other examples of reaching out to wider audiences include a five-day course on RDM for graduate students in all disciplines at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Harris-Pierce & Liu, 2012) and a data information literacy course for science and engineering students offered by a library partnership led by Purdue University (Keralis, 2012).…”

The Development of Data Science Education in China from the LIS Perspective

“…Several authors surveyed the data science education offered by LIS schools and focused on the level of education, curriculum structure, teaching content and approaches. Harris-Pierce & Liu (2012) noted that 16 LIS schools in the US and Canada offer courses on data curation and recommended more LIS schools add data curation courses to their programs. Si et al (2013) investigated 63 scientific data courses offered by 25 iSchools around the world and found that the curriculum covered basic knowledge and methods of data curation, but lacked content such as data curation tools and user training approaches.…”

Data Curation: A Study of Researcher Practices and Needs

“…Rebecca Harris-Pierce and Yan Quan Liu identified related, graduate-level course offerings by sixteen of the fifty-two North American LIS schools accredited by the American Library Association that they considered in 2012. 41 Nicholas Weber, Carole Palmer, and Tiffany Chao suggest that data curation will require individuals with "a set of combined competencies from domains like information science and computer science, as well as the natural sciences" and that "the future success of LIS curation programs will require new strategies for attracting promising students from across traditional campus departments. "…”