Librarians have aided patrons in research and obtaining information, however today they are also being asked to help with accessing data and helping with data discovery tools. The amount of data being created and shared today is the most civilization has ever witnessed, much of which can be credited to technological innovations and the internet. This data deluge has resulted in the phenomenon of “Big Data”. Librarians have been collecting, organizing, and disseminating big data for many years, however the current LIS curriculum is in need of bridging the gap to meet professional demands of big data skills in academic libraries. This research looks at every data science program being offered in the United States and reviews the core courses, what type of degree, and discipline they are being offered in. Using Curriculum Development Life Cycle approach, the researcher begins with a quantitative textual analysis of the core curriculum which is being taught in Data Science programs in the United States. The methodology will aid in building a future life cycle of curriculum development for Data Science within LIS education. This research will provide LIS schools with an overview of what type of degree and core courses that are currently being offered in the data science curriculum, and the results found from this research could be used as a starting point in curriculum development for a data librarianship program in LIS.
