DATA INFORMATION LITERACY Librarians, Data, and the Education of a New Generation of Researchers Purdue Information Literacy Handbooks Sharon Weiner, Series Editor DATA INFORMATION LITERACY Librarians, Data, and the Education of a New Generation of Researchers edited by Jake Carlson and Lisa R. Johnston Purdue University Press, West Lafayette, Indiana Copyright 2015 by Jake Carlson and Lisa R. Johnston. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Data information literacy : librarians, data, and the education of a new generation of researchers / edited by Jake Carlson and Lisa R. Johnston. pages cm. — (Purdue information literacy handbooks) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-55753-696-9 (pbk.) — ISBN 978-1-61249-351-0 (epdf) — ISBN 978-1- 61249-352-7 (epub) 1. Academic libraries—Services to graduate students. 2. Academic libraries—Relations with faculty and curriculum—United States—Case studies. 3. Academic librarians—Effect of technological innovations on. 4. Information literacy—Study and teaching (Higher) 5. Electronic information resource literacy—Study and teaching (Higher) 6. Science— Data processing—Management. 7. Research—Data processing—Management. 8. Database management. 9. Cyberinfrastructure. 10. Digital preservation. I. Carlson, Jake, 1970– editor. II. Johnston, Lisa (Lisa R.), editor. Z711.92.G73D38 2015 028.7071’1—dc23 2014030428 CONTENTS FOREWORD vii PREFACE ix INTRODUCTION 1 Jake Carlson, Lisa R. Johnston PARTPART I I MakingMaking the the Case Case for for Data Data Information Information Literacy Literacy 1 DETERMINING Data Information LITERACY NEEDS: A Study of Students and Research Faculty 11 Jake Carlson, Michael Fosmire, C. C. Miller, Megan Sapp Nelson 2 DEVELOPING THE Data Information LITERACY PROJECT: Approach and Methodology 35 Jake Carlson, Lisa R. Johnston, Brian Westra 3 AN EXploration OF THE Data Information LITERACY COMPETENCIES: Findings From the Project Interviews 51 Jake Carlson, Jon Jeffryes, Lisa R. Johnston, Mason Nichols, Brian Westra, Sarah J. Wright PARTPART II IIData Data Information Information Literacy Literacy Disciplinary Disciplinary Case Case Studies Studies 4 DEVELOPING A FOR-CREDIT COURSE TO TeacH Data Information LITERACY SKILLS: A Case Study in Natural Resources 73 Sarah J. Wright, Camille Andrews 5 ADDRESSING Software CODE as Data: An Embedded Librarian Approach 101 Jake Carlson, Megan Sapp Nelson 6 TeacHING Data Information LITERACY SKILLS IN A LIBRARY WORKSHOP SettinG: A Case Study in Agricultural and Biological Engineering 129 Marianne Bracke, Michael Fosmire 7 TeacHING CIVIL ENGINEERING Data Information LITERACY SKILLS: An E-Learning Approach 149 Lisa R. Johnston, Jon Jeffryes 8 TeacHING ECOLOGY Data Information LITERACY SKILLS TO Graduate STUDENTS: A Discussion-Based Approach 179 Brian Westra, Dean Walton PARTPART III IIIMoving Moving Forward Forward 9 DEVELOPING Data Information LITERACY PROGRAMS: A Guide for Academic Librarians 205 Sarah J. Wright, Jake Carlson, Jon Jeffryes, Camille Andrews, Marianne Bracke, Michael Fosmire, Lisa R. Johnston, Megan Sapp Nelson, Dean Walton, Brian Westra 10 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Further Developing the Data Information Literacy Competencies 231 Megan Sapp Nelson 11 FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR Data Information LITERACY: Growing Programs and Communities of Practice 247 Jake Carlson CONTRIBUTORS 261 INDEX 263 FOREWORD This book is the second in the Purdue Infor- disciplines in the Data Information Literacy mation Literacy Handbooks series. The book (DIL) project to write for this publication. fulfills the purpose of the series, which is to Through interviews, the voices of faculty and promote evidence-based practice in teaching graduate students revealed the need for a more information literacy competencies through the effective way to learn DIL competencies and lens of different academic disciplines. Informa- integrate them into their practice. The DIL tion literacy implies the ability to find, manage, project revealed specific skill gaps that graduate and use information in any format, and editors students in the sciences and engineering have Carlson and Johnston apply it to the format related to managing, publishing, and preserv- of raw data. They coined the term data infor- ing data sets for research. Librarians developed mation literacy as an application of information and assessed tailored educational strategies for literacy in the context of research. addressing these gaps in five settings. Since much data is accessible on the Web Carlson and Johnston make a strong case for now and federal agencies are encouraging reuse the role of librarians in teaching graduate stu- of data, rather than re-creating data sets, librar- dents to manage, publish, and preserve data. ians have embraced the opportunity to apply They and the chapter authors give advice based the organization and management principles of on their experience for academic librarians to library and information science to data. establish DIL programs at their institutions. Data Information Literacy: Librarians, Data, This handbook will have value for librar- and the Education of a New Generation of Re- ians and library administrators in colleges searchers is a timely work based on research and universities in which students participate funded by the Institute of Museum and Li- in faculty research projects. With it, they can brary Services. Carlson and Johnston included develop and implement plans to address an librarians who worked with different scientific important, unmet educational need. Although VII VIII FOREWORD this book focuses on some of the science and will support library administrators who want engineering disciplines, those in the humani- their libraries to participate in the educational ties and social sciences may be able to apply and research mission of their institutions. It the methods used for identifying and address- will give practitioners guidance for developing ing educational issues in their areas. This book such an effort. Sharon Weiner, EdD, MLS Series Editor Professor and W. Wayne Booker Chair in Information Literacy, Purdue University Libraries Vice President, National Forum on Information Literacy August 2014 PREFACE We did not set out to write a book on the sub- students in this space. However, as the needs ject of data information literacy. Our initial surrounding educational programming on data intent was to explore the educational needs of issues became more apparent, the more ques- graduate students in working with data and to tions we had. Based on prior research by a Pur- report our findings to the research library com- due University team the 12 DIL competencies munity. When we started our investigations in helped us to see possibilities for developing 2010, there was a dawning recognition among educational programming, but what would our academic librarians that the rising expectations programming actually include, what pedago- for researchers to manage, document, organize, gies could be applied, and what would we as disseminate, and preserve their data in ways librarians be qualified to teach to researchers? that would contribute to the advancement of In short, how could we apply the theoretical their fields would require novel educational competencies for DIL in ways that would have initiatives and programs. More importantly, we a real-world impact on students? Thanks to the recognized that this was an area where librar- generous support of the Institute of Museum ians could potentially make important contri- and Library Services, we had the opportunity butions. At the time, there were only a few ex- to seek answers to these questions through de- amples of educational programs that addressed veloping the Data Information Literacy project. issues relating to data management and cura- This book contains descriptions of our work tion and very little practical guidance on what in carrying out the DIL project, but our goal content should be taught. in sharing our findings in this way goes far Our early investigation into articulating beyond simply reporting our experiences. We “data information literacy,” or DIL as we came believe that DIL represents an opportunity to to call it, was tremendously helpful for us in leverage the expertise, knowledge, and skill better understanding the needs of faculty and sets of librarians and apply them to an area of IX X PREFACE growing need. Fulfilling this need represents a of every DIL team member who participated potentially significant advancement for librar- on this project. Without the creativity and pas- ians in engaging in both the teaching and re- sion of these individuals in shaping and imple- search missions of the academy. To further this menting the DIL project, as well as in writing goal, we share our findings and our experiences up their experiences with their respective pro- from a practical approach, in ways that will en- grams, this book would not be at all possible. able librarians and other information profes- Thank you Camille Andrews, Marianne Bracke, sionals to build on our work and to incorporate Michael Fosmire, Jon Jeffryes, Christopher C. what we have learned into their own DIL pro- Miller, Megan Sapp Nelson, Dean Walton, grams as appropriate. It is our sincere hope that Brian Westra, and Sarah Wright for making this book will serve not only as a resource to this book and the DIL project a success. We those who seek to develop DIL initiatives and also wish to thank the Institute of Museum