Why does Citizen Data Scientist matter?

The role of the citizen data scientist is becoming increasingly enticing to corporate leaders as data-driven developments have influenced nearly every sector within enterprises. A citizen data scientist is a person who builds or generates models that leverage advanced diagnostic analytics or predictive and prescriptive skills but whose significant job role is outside the realm of statistics and analytics.

Who is a Citizen Data Scientist?

Businesses are evolving and realizing that not every data function requires a highly educated data scientist. Only specialists with the appropriate skill set and training are needed to undertake specific tasks in the middle ground. As a result, a new job title has emerged: Citizen Data Scientist. Forget about the data scientist’s important hero role. Citizen data scientists provide a complementary role to expert data scientists. In a world where data outnumber scientists, it’s a crucial role.

Typically, citizen data scientists do not have coding skills but need to develop strong domain expertise to understand the data. They can also build models using drag-and-drop tools, run pre-built data pipelines and models. They do not replace expert data scientists, as they do not have specific advanced data science expertise to do so. But they certainly bring their own business expertise and unique skills.

What Skills do Citizen Data Scientists Possess?

1. Organizational context: The citizen data scientist understands the company’s vision, objectives, and needs, as well as how data may assist them in achieving those goals.

2. Divergent thinking:The ideal citizen data scientist can think beyond the box, creating data models and connections beyond the ordinary employee’s comprehension.

3. Strong analytical skills:As a requirement of the job, a citizen data scientist must be analytical. Part of their job entails being able to undertake quite complex data analysis.

4. Ability to assess information meaningfully: citizen data scientist must be able to properly examine the data in front of them and draw significant conclusions from it that the typical person could miss.

5. Emphasize business value:To develop into the role of a promotion from their current duties, a citizen data scientist must underline the value of what they are doing in data analysis.

6. Industry adjacency:The best candidates for citizen data scientists work in a subject related to data science, namely one that involves a lot of math and analytical processes. Software developers and engineers may be suitable for the position.

What’s Powering the Rise of Data Scientists?

There are two reasons for the rise of citizen data scientists. First, they’re proving to be a valuable and affordable addition to expert data scientists, who usually are harder to come by and more expensive to hire. Second, data science is becoming more accessible. According to a Gartner post, the usage of new analytics and business intelligence technologies is spreading further throughout the enterprise. Furthermore, solutions like augmented analytics and machine learning-powered tools are assisting employees with data discovery and analytics duties previously reserved for specialist data scientists in data science, AI, and machine learning.

Unleashing the power of citizen data scientists 

Here are some tips for empowering citizen data scientists at your company, whether they already work there or you’re just getting started with mainstreaming data analytics, data science, AI, and machine learning practices to a broader range of employees:

  1. Support a data-driven culture:

When it comes to enabling citizen data scientists, it’s necessary to consider people, procedures, and technology, but it’s also crucial to foster a data-driven culture throughout the organization. It will assist more individuals in understanding the function of citizen data scientists and their acceptance and ability to effect change among employees.

  1. Keep an open-door policy: 

Citizen data scientists require executive backing and a place for guidance, especially in the early stages of digital transformation. Consider your citizen data scientists as change advocates who must persuade employees from all levels of your organization. They can’t do it by themselves.

  1. Provide the right tools and training: 

To get the commercial benefits of data analytics, more individuals must be exposed to the technology. Thanks to today’s analytics and business intelligence solutions, companies may now make great leaps forward in less time. Companies can considerably accelerate their data strategy and scale the benefits of data analytics across the organization when they combine the proper continuing training with them.

Citizen Data Scientists Will Change Workflows 

Citizen data science provides freedom to data scientists and analysts, allowing them to focus on more complex initiatives such as coding their algorithms and developing advanced data models. Natural language processing makes the transition from “business person” to “citizen data scientist” easier. Instead of turning their inquiry into a string of keywords or variables, non-technical users can ask what they mean. As a result, people can concentrate on the answer rather than the process. The more accessible, intuitive, and straightforward the process is, the more likely people are to participate and repeat it as needed. Natural language in data science, AI, and machine learning allows for more creativity and curiosity by allowing for more inquiries, follow-up questions, and follow-up questions (traits that every scientist needs).

Are you leveraging Citizen Data Scientists within your organization? If yes, who are they according to you, what are their titles, and what do they do? I’d like to hear your stories in the comment section.

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