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Data Literacy: What It Is, and Why You Should Care.

There are various definitions of "data literacy" -- those below capture the essence of its meaning:

  • Qlik of the Data Literacy Project describes data literacy as "the ability to read, work with, analyze, and argue with data."​
  • Tableau defines data literacy as "the ability to explore, understand, and communicate with data."
  • Carlson et al. (2011) take the definition a step further by stressing that being data literate also means being a *critical consumer* of data/statistics, noting that "data literacy involves understanding what data mean, including how to read charts appropriately, draw correct conclusions from data, and recognize when data are being used in misleading or inappropriate ways."

Data skills are highly valued by today's employers -- being called "the most lucrative skill[s] to have" and "the most valuable skill[s] you can learn." By honing your data literacy skills through taking Research Data Services (RDS) workshops, or getting RDS@GSU Data Certified, or competing in the GSU Undergraduate Get Data Lit! Contest, you demonstrate to potential employers that you are committed to growing the skills that they look for in hires. Similarly, the data literacy knowledge and skills you acquire map to various College-to-Career (CTC) Competency Skills that employers value (see below). In short: data literacy skills can help you get a job.