1. What is a Canadian Data Dude?
IASSIST
June 4, 2014
Presenter: Jane Fry
Carleton University, Ottawa

2. Objectives The background of the survey The background of a data dude
How much time is spent doing different data-related duties
How confident are we in helping our clients

3. THE Background of the survey
The 2012 DLI Contacts Survey
Why the survey
DLI Education Committee wants information
Changing research data landscape
Opportunity for participating institutions
What is DLI?
-data liberation initiative – a division of Statistics Canada
--all universities in Cda are subscribing members and some colleges
--it is where we can download survey microdata and aggregate data for our clients
--the DLI contact is the main one who is responsible for the DLI information at their institution
Why
-to determine effectiveness of current services
--to determine future training needs
Changes at StatCan/DLI, and evolution in DLI program
Growth of data portals
Open data
Emphasis on statistical and spatial literacies
Increase in work with undergraduate student
Why - to provide anonymous feedback on the DLI program and on the training needs of member institutions
--to reflect on their own local services
Thanks to Sylvie Lafortune and Gail Curry for this information.

4. The survey (cont’d) Previous surveys This survey – 5 sections When
DLI Contact Environment
Support from your local institution
Satisfaction with DLI products and Services
Products, Services and DLI Section Improvements
Satisfaction and Improvement with DLI Training
When
In 2000 and 2008
- Started with the questionnaire from 2008 and the DLI Education Committee edited it
sent to DLI Contacts on May 29th, 2012 with a link to the on-line survey
Reminders sent out June 7 and 11
Survey closed June 19, 2012

5. The survey (cont’d) Responses: Language n = 72 contacts English: 83%
out of a possible 75 (66 universities, 9 colleges)
Language
English: 83%
French: 17%

6. THE background of a data dude

7. a data dude (CONT’D)

8. Work Environment
Q4: As an official DLI contact, what are your DLI-related responsibilities?
- Just a note for those of you keeping track that these totals will not add up to 100% as the questionnaire asked the respondents to ‘check all that apply’.

9. Blue – Atlantic (eastern provinces)
Red – Quebec
Green – Ontario
Light Purple – Western provinces
Help users find data tables – everyone said yes to this one
Data reference
Preparing microdata files
Preparing geospatial data files
Training on using DLI data
Maintaining DLI data websites
Promoting data services – this was another popular one

10. Comments – other DLI responsibilities
Educating Reference staff/librarians regarding
DLI services
Statistical/data resources
Download data
Don’t prepare it for use
Do prepare it for use
Assist with
Statistical software
Stats consulting
- These are actual comments from the respondents

11. Work Environment (CONT’D)
Q6: Check all that describe the data service at your institution.
Amount of time on data service
What other services do you offer
Who answers data questions

12. WORk Environment (CONT’D)
Data service time %
< 20% 42 % 11 % 17
100% 15
More than one Data staff Full-time: 18%

13. Work Environment (CONT’D)
Blue – Atlantic (eastern provinces)
Red – Quebec
Green – Ontario
Light Purple – Western provinces
Offered at service point
Microdata on demand
Teach data delivery tools

14. Comments – other data services
Reference staff/librarians answer data questions depending on their level of expertise then bounce them to us
Data curation and preservation services for research data
Maintaining any web resources related to data
Webpage, LibGuide
Rely on DLI staff for their expertise
These are actual comments from the respondents.

15. Work Environment (CONT’D)
Q8: In your wider responsibilities, do you consider yourself to be a …

16. Work Environment (CONT’D)
Data person
GIS person
Gov docs person
Maps person
Subject specialist

17. Comments – Other Duties (non-DLI)
Administrators
Assessment librarians
Collections – different subject areas
General Reference
Systems Department – Head, programmer, ...
Researchers
Co-ordinators - electronic collections, access services, ...
These are actual comments from the respondents.

18. Work Environment (CONT’D)

19. Work Environment (CONT’D)
Q16: Over the past several years, would you say that use of DLI statistics and data at your institution has been …
Increasing – 53%
About the same – 42%
Decreasing – 5%

20. Work Environment (CONT’D)
Undergrads
Grads
Researchers/profs
Library colleagues
This would be instruction-related duties

21. Comfort and Knowledge level
Acceptable or less
Good
Very good
Blue - < 3 yr
Red – 3-7 yr
Green – 8-13 yr
Light purple - > 13 yr

22. Comments - Comfort and Knowledge
Being the DLI contact (for over 10 years) is only a small part of my workload. I feel more comfortable in general but always need some time to “dig in” to the products.
I receive few questions so don’t feel comfortable in my knowledge. That is why regular regional training is important.
There is low interest in the administration as to whether statistical services or provided or not. I find there is a big demand for it – more than I am actually capable of providing.
This is a “learn by doing” experience. That experience will one day become expertise, but it’s a long road. The more advice and help given, the better.
These are actual comments from the respondents.

23. Explain the dli list
The latest product releases
Answers to queries from the contacts
answers to queries from our clients that we weren’t able to answer
The questions on the list are answered by the dli staff or anyone else on the listserv who knows the answer
Daily – 73%
I have put this chart in for an answer to the question of where do the contacts get help
I am extrapolating the answer from this question

24. summing up We learned We saw
the background of the 2012 DLI Contacts Survey
The background of a Canadian data dude
We saw
The amount of time spent offering data services
The frequency of answering data related questions
Other job duties that are performed
Level of confidence in helping others
Speculation on the future of data professionals?
Searching for reputable open data
showing our clients where the different data portals are and how to use them
Teaching our clients about research data mgmt
Questions about big data

25. Thanks to the Canadian DLI contacts for filling in the survey!
Acknowledgements
As a side note: this presentation was done as a Virtual Internship while doing my MLIS
my supervisor was Siobhan Hanratty (UNB)
my thanks for all her help, comments and suggestions
Thanks to the Canadian DLI contacts for filling in the survey!
themagathon.blogspot.com

26. QUEstions, suggestions, ...
Contact Information:
Jane Fry
Data Specialist
MacOdrum Library
Carleton University
Thank you 