The role of data literacies in participatory data stewardship: Drawing on the Round ‘Ere project

Understood as the practices that seek to centre and empower individuals and communities in the collection, usage and sharing of data, the concept of participatory data stewardship (PDS) is often praised for its potential to challenge datafication and facilitate public involvement in decision-making processes mediated by and about data. However, little is known about the role of data literacies – the skills, knowledge and practices involved in accessing and using data both practically and, more critically, with a view to civic action and social change – within PDS. Based on semi-structured interviews with community researchers (CRs) taking part in a PDS project conducted in Widnes, a town in the UK, this article examines the importance of developing CRs’ data literacies in the context of their involvement in the project. Key findings suggest that, whilst CRs recognised significant gaps in their data literacies, with data often being referred to as an abstract and obscure concept, they had both strong motivations to better understand data and expectations for how this may be used to improve their community. Bridging media literacy research on critical data literacies with PDS research, this paper argues that, if we are to expect PDS to potentially empower communities in a datafied society, then members of these communities need to be supported to develop their data literacies. Implications for research, practice and policy are discussed.