How Online Training Events are Supporting the Development of Quantitative Data Skills in SHAPE students: a case study from the UK Data Service
Conference
64th ISI World Statistics Congress
Format: IPS Abstract
Keywords: data-literacy;, quantitative, training;
Session: IPS 228 - Building Bridges: data fellowships + data skills = international data literacy
Monday 17 July 2 p.m. - 3:40 p.m. (Canada/Eastern)
Abstract
The UK Data Service is a UK government funded data infrastructure service providing access to a wealth of important socio-economic data that are available for secondary re-use by the research community. These data, such as Census data, government survey microdata and national longitudinal/cohort studies are valuable research resources that could be used much more widely for social research and policymaking if quantitative data literacy skills were more widespread among researchers. The UK Data Service also provides an online data skills training programme, which is open to all and free to access. The programme provides a combination of online training events and web-based on-demand training materials targeted at an introductory level of data literacy training, with a focus on the skills needed to manage, find, access and use these valuable data assets. This paper describes the purpose and reach of the UK Data Service training programme and presents emerging findings from a qualitative research project using reflective thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke 2021) to explore how Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities (SHAPE) students are participating in UK Data Service online data skills training events to enhance their data literacy.