The UK's Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) recently published a report, according to which the future of data science should be organised and developed at international as well as institutional and discipline levels. The report, 'Skills, Role and Career Structure of Data Scientists and Curators - Assessment of Current Practice and Future Needs', identifies and examines the needs of specific roles within the data industry.
Data science has become a topic of international attention, with today's vast amounts of data increasingly stored in virtual rather than physical ways. The JISC report finds no defined career structure, development or consistency for data scientists and librarians. This has lead to some staff feeling undervalued as they deem their role as being not viewed as a professional one with set progression criteria. On a positive note, the survey suggests that researchers in general are becoming more aware of the issues that data-based research raises. Some 'native data scientists' are already skilled in managing data, and even those less experienced are keen to learn more.
To help institutional data management, two new data auditing methodologies - Data Auditing Framework and DRAMBORA - have also been launched by the JISC-funded Digital Curation Centre (DCC). These will help an institution monitor its data holdings, assess risks, implement robust data policies and add value to data through improved access and reuse. This in turn is expected to help define the role of the data scientist, contributing to the career being viewed as a professional one.
The report calls for a 'repositioning' of the role of the library in data-intensive research. According to the report, research funding bodies and institutes should define and formalise the role of the data scientist to encourage its professionalisation and help develop a curriculum. It further states that new studies should clarify the role and contribution of the data scientist; what a data science career is; and good practice models for the future. HEFCE and the research councils could establish and fund a network of trainers to deliver postgraduate courses on the fundamentals of data management. The report also noted that research funders could build the requirement for a data scientist into grant application procedures, requiring individuals to attend a relevant short course. Research libraries, universities and institutes should formalise the role of the data librarian, developing a curriculum to ensure a suitable supply of skilled staff.
