Understanding critical data literacy beyond data skills

Data literacy is normally understood as a set of abilities to read, understand, create, and communicate data as information. Much like literacy as a general concept, data literacy focuses on the competencies involved in working with data. 

However, data literacy can be also understood a mean to participate in the (datafied) society, thus the skills needed to work with data go beyond technicalities and have a strong social component, ergo, need to be grounded on the overarching principles of data ethics.

We suggest librarians and researchers get familiarised with a set of data skills that may help them work with data at management and research level, while being aware of the potential impact of data on individuals and the society, thus, handling data within an ethical and critical framework.