And here again, another blog post about the definition of a data scientist. I have read TOO MUCH about this topic - and the hype is getting old. But I wanted to write about a different type of job - that of the “Social” Data Scientist.
I came across the infographic below about the skills of a data scientist. For the last few years, everyone - from recruiters, to CTOs, to data scientists themselves - has also been talking about the multidisciplinary nature of the job. This Venn diagram by Drew Conway also explains the mix of Substantive Experience - Math & Stat Knowledge - Hacking / CS Skills a data scientist must have. Of course, few have mastered all three topics, but you can find great data scientists whose skills lie somewhere in that Venn diagram.
credit to @imakj and @gwenthomasdgi
Data science has seeped into all industries and sectors of the economy. But beyond business, the tools of data science have the potential to revolutionize the work of government and non-profits. This is why I decided to create an infographic of the “Social” Data Scientist.
The biggest distinction between a data scientist who works in business and one who works in government or non-profit is the Substantive Expertise or Domain Knowledge section. While a business data scientist must know about management, the product, branding, marketing, etc, a social data scientist has to be knowledgeable about economic and political theory, the legislative process, and how governments and non-profits manage and communicate. Being a Social Data Scientist is more than loving the data and the analysis. It’s about understanding the scope and environment in which the data is collected and how the data can influence policy-making. Masterful statisticians and database administrators work in the public sector, but without having the economics and public policy domain knowledge, these individuals may not know how to use their data and analyses for optimal social outcomes.
Economists and statisticians have done and continue to do the analytical work of government. On top of that, university professors continue to perform quality quantitative social science research. But, the social data scientist has the opportunity to bring skills from the private sector and modernize the public sector. In my opinion, a social data scientist has a big burden. He/she has the opportunity to go beyond the prolific university researchers and the sometimes dogmatic economists and take action - with data in hand - for social change. More than political economic theory and grassroots activism, data is the weapon for social change in the 21st century.