Be bold to get ahead now on data analytics
Jinfo Blog

By Norma Beavers

Abstract

Our "Jinfo survey on data analytics - 2016" is a must-read for getting ahead on data analytics in 2017. The take-home message from this survey is that information professionals will need to be bolder to make inroads into a field that's full of "unknowns". In a nutshell - don't allow yourself to be pushed out!

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Data analytics is an area of information practice that has yet to mature but as it does so information professionals need to seize the day to get more involved in this exciting area.

The "Jinfo survey on data analytics - 2016" finds information professionals have multiple concerns - ranging from being consulted too late, to being denied a seat at the table to discuss their organisation's data analytics needs and strategies.

Responses that stand out as areas of deepest concern are neatly summarised by one respondent who stated, "need to promote the value that information professionals can bring to analytics projects - constant need to promote our expertise."

Go beyond the core

Our survey, which Jinfo's director of research, Robin Neidorf, reports on, finds most respondents are currently performing two tasks related to data analytics: research on sources and informal discussions with stakeholders.

That's pretty safe territory but our survey results suggest information professionals will need to go further in the year ahead.

Cast aside anxiety

Among the responses respondents gave when asked about what they can contribute to data analytics was this: "What is our role if there are already people with the technical skills working on data analytics projects? Source selection? Guidance on copyright/licensing? Identifying public datasets?"

Another response was this, "We in our department lack knowledge/expertise in the implementation side of data analytics which makes it hard for us to get invited to the table."

Well, let's not be so negative! There is so much that information professionals have to offer. Our survey findings have given us the compass we need to help our customers organise their thinking and strategy for getting fully involved in data analytics in 2017.

Find out more

Survey respondents told us colleagues in other departments "do not see the point of information professionals getting involved" in data analytics; and that it is "easy to get steamrolled out of the project by people in the IT or data team who feel they know the content".

In 2017 it's time to change these negative perceptions.

To find out what you need to do, see the full results of our survey on data analytics and get its early "to do" list for 2017.

You can also log-in to view all the articles, reports and reviews published in the Research Focus, "Data analytics - ready your information service".

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