Being literate on data or practices: How paradata functions in the context of literacy

Presentation together with Michael Olsson, Lisa Andersson, Jessica Kaiser and Olle Sköld at the Conceptions of Library and Information Science (CoLIS) 2025 conference, Glasgow, Scotland.

Abstract

Introduction. Datafication of information practices underlines the importance of better understanding of data literacy and documentation. Framing data literacy as a socio-cultural information practice, we draw from its conceptual affinities with
the notion paradata to advance the understanding what it takes to be(come) literate, and how paradata functions in the context of literacy.
Method. Theoretical discussion draws from an interviews with (N=) 33 professionals working with archaeological data.
Analysis. Interview transcripts were analysed using a method based on constant comparative method and close reading.
Results. Four facets of being literate with archaeological data were identified: information making literacy, syntactic literacy, information taking literacy and interpretative literacy. Becoming literate is influenced by the parallel (in)adequacy of individual facets. Literacies’ social being-in-making makes becoming literate hard. Finally, paradata potentially 1) contributes developing and enacting individual literacies, 2) catalysing and impeding convergence of literacies, and 3) enacting the contexts of literacies.
Conclusion(s). Paradata, as a concept referring to practice-related meta-infomation, provides means to operationalise what can be known and communicated about practices as a contextual constituent of literacy. Paradata helps in becoming and staying literate. Finally, literacy can be a question of competent practice with paradata rather than mastering the data itself.