Contrary to popular myth, we do not yet live in the "Information Age."
At best, we live the "Data Age," obsessed with the production,
collection, storage, dissemination, and monetization of digital data.
But data, in and of itself, isn't valuable. Data only becomes valuable
when we make sense of it. We rely on "information professionals" to help
us understand data, but most fail in their efforts. Why? Not because
they lack intelligence or tools, but mostly because they lack the
necessary skills. Most information professionals have been trained
primarily in the use of data analysis tools (Tableau, PowerBI, Qlik,
SAS, Excel, R, etc.), but even the best tools are only useful in the
hands of skilled individuals. Anyone can pick up a hammer and pound a
nail, but only skilled carpenters can use a hammer to build a reliable
structure. Making sense of data is skilled work, and developing those
skills requires study and practice. Weaving data into understanding
involves several distinct but complementary thinking skills. Foremost
among them are critical thinking and scientific thinking. Until
information professionals develop these capabilities, we will remain in
the dark ages of data. This book is for information professionals,
especially those who have been thrust into this important work without
having a chance to develop these foundational skills. If you're an
information professional and have never been trained to think critically
and scientifically with data, this book will get you started. Once on
this path, you'll be able to help usher in an Information Age worthy of
the name.
