When you take on the mantle of Citizen Data Scientist, there is a lot to process! Much of the reason business users feel overwhelmed at the idea of the Citizen Data Scientist role is the anticipation of having to learn new tools and techniques to analyze data.
When a business takes on the task of transforming business users to Citizen Data Scientists, they might have very clear goals mind but they may not have a firm grasp on what the role means or how to provide the business user with an understanding of what the role will be (what it will not be) and how it will change their day-to-day work.
As a newly minted Citizen Data Scientist, you may feel overwhelmed and uncertain how to proceed. As with any other transition and new responsibility, the first order of business is to understand what is expected of you and what the boundaries and obligations of your new responsibilities will dictate. It is also important to learn how to use any new tools that may be important to your new role.
Most business executives and managers have, by now, read the Gartner predictions wherein the average business user will be (or already has been) nominated to become a Citizen Data Scientist. Gartner defines a Citizen Data Scientist as “a person who creates or generates models that leverage Predictive or Prescriptive Analytics but whose primary job function is outside of the field of statistics and analytics.” It is true that a Citizen Data Scientist is NOT a Data Scientist, but some businesses incorrectly expect the same results and anticipate being able to reduce the need for business analysts or data scientists as these new roles are assumed.
