{"id":380,"date":"2021-11-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tac.debuzzify.com\/?p=380"},"modified":"2023-06-25T02:22:35","modified_gmt":"2023-06-25T02:22:35","slug":"welcome-to-the-age-of-citizen-data-scientists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.the-analytics.club\/welcome-to-the-age-of-citizen-data-scientists\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome to the Age of Citizen Data Scientists"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Data science has been democratized for the most part. AI is now mainstream!<\/i><\/b><\/h5>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Data science is no longer the exclusive province of large companies with deep pockets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI has finally made its way into our everyday lives, and it\u2019s only a matter of time before you start seeing it becoming more widely used across all industries, not just finance!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that came a new breed of data scientists, citizen data scientists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is a citizen data scientist?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A citizen data scientist is a person who works in fields other than statistics and analytics<\/b> yet creates or generates models that incorporate predictive or prescriptive analytics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citizen data scientists are found in virtually every industry, from healthcare to retail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Related: <\/i><\/b>Data Science Will Be Democratized (In Less Than 10 Years)<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In the past, many would have been called business analysts or knowledge workers because they rely on their insight and understanding to make decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In today\u2019s world, they use predictive analytics as part of their day job<\/a>. They may not implement all analytic techniques, but they can tell if the results make sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is this important?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organizations are increasingly using analytics to optimize every aspect of their businesses, from pricing decisions to hiring strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, many organizations find that IT isn\u2019t keeping up with the demand to incorporate analytics into day-to-day operations. Citizen data scientists fill that gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citizen data scientists do not need to be trained in analytics or mathematics<\/a>, nor do they have to have deep IT knowledge about the used systems. They have to know what results are reasonable and can ask for help when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the roles and responsibilities of a citizen data scientist?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The job responsibilities of a citizen data scientist<\/a> usually don\u2019t include dealing with data. They are mainstream workers who leverage the power of predictive analytics to make better decisions that affect their job performance, such as product placements or customer targeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citizen data scientists are usually not expected to build elaborate models because they work with other people\u2019s data. Instead, they evaluate results and interpret them for managers or other non-technical staff members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often citizen data scientists work in isolation with limited opportunities to compare notes or share best practices. Collaborating with peers is an excellent way to learn new techniques and gain further insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the best approach to becoming a citizen data scientist?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t need to be an expert in statistics or analytics. Still, you should have some exposure to techniques such as regression analysis if you want to become a citizen data scientist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it is vital that you understand the business applications of predictive analytics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, linear regression might not be the best technique for your application, but you should be able to tell when a model is overfitting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also helps if you have some programming ability, but it isn\u2019t necessary. You don\u2019t need to know how to program in R or Python, but being familiar with SQL and Excel will help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, writing a joint statement in SQL can be crucial in implementing a successful model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to become a citizen data scientist? Here\u2019s a 5 step approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improve your data literacy.<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Data literacy is the ability to understand and communicate analytical techniques and their insights. In addition to interpreting data and drawing insights, a good data-literate person asks the right questions to creatively solve the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to improve data literacy is to collaborate with a data scientist or analyst. Platforms such as Kaggle make it possible. On the other hand, you could also try a good data literacy online course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a list of programs you could try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n