Big Data and the Evolving Role of Information Professionals
Information and Documentation Professionals (IDPs) play a critical role in addressing these challenges. Their contributions include retrieving and organising data, applying metadata standards, supporting interoperability, and safeguarding preservation. Beyond technical expertise in database management and programming, these professionals also need strong ethical judgment, collaboration skills, and openness to multidisciplinary teamwork.
Importantly, not all IDPs automatically possess this full skill set. The profession must continually adapt, building capabilities that combine technical knowledge with interpersonal and ethical responsibility. By fostering a culture of open data and promoting international standards for reuse and interoperability, IDPs ensure that research data remains trustworthy, accessible, and meaningful.
A recent study, based on an extensive review of literature and case studies from leading academic databases and repositories, highlights these evolving responsibilities. It shows how IDPs add value to data-driven projects — from cleaning and transforming data for analysis, to developing ontologies that allow machines to interpret and connect datasets, to accurately describing collections with recognised metadata standards.
As scientific research becomes increasingly dependent on large, complex datasets, the expertise of information professionals is indispensable. They provide the structure, ethics, and stewardship required to ensure that big data not only advances knowledge but also upholds principles of accountability and integrity in the digital age.