In 500 words, we’ll show you how to ask better data questions that can help us understand UWM data needs, build better shared resources, and get you the data you need more quickly.
Let’s start with an oversimplified question to illustrate the principles below:
How many new English students do we have this year?
Give us context
Defining this context allows us to make better assumptions and fill in any gaps in your question to get you the right data more quickly. It also helps us understand data use patterns, develop and prioritize role-based training, and build better shared resources.
Specifically, your role and your task are critical pieces of information for framing your question and identifying data fields you’ll need. For example, we’d likely provide different data to an undergraduate coordinator or department chair asking this same question.
In my role as the English undergraduate coordinator, I’d like to make sure we’re scheduling the right courses. How many new English students do we have this year?
Tell us what you’ve already tried
This can suggest or rule out existing data resources that will meet your needs and can help identify improvements to those shared resources that might help accommodate future requests.
In my role as the English undergraduate coordinator, I’d like to contact new students and make sure we’re scheduling the right courses. I used the OBIEE Current Plans dashboard, but it doesn’t include each student’s admit term to English. How many current English students do we have?
Be specific
Specificity reduces the need for assumptions, which makes our work easier and increases the likelihood of you getting the data you need.
- We can assume based on the provided role that this request concerns only undergraduates, but maybe not? Are we including minors and/or certificate students?
- Should we be including newly-admitted students, or only students who have switched majors to English?
- Be conscious of word choice implications. For example, ‘how many’ implies aggregates, not student-level data. ‘Current’ could mean right now or ‘this semester’ depending on the request context.
In my role as the English undergraduate coordinator, I’d like to contact new students and make sure we’re scheduling the right courses. I used the OBIEE Current Plans dashboard, but it doesn’t include the student’s admit term to English. Which students switched majors to English during the 2020-2021 academic year?
Define the deliverable
If you need specific data to complete your task, provide all the details, especially if that information is not explicitly mentioned in the earlier portions of your question.
In my role as the English undergraduate coordinator, I’d like to contact new students and make sure we’re scheduling the right courses. I used the OBIEE Current Plans dashboard, but it doesn’t include the student’s admit term to English. Which students switched majors to English during the 2020-2021 academic year and what are their UWM email addresses, cumulative credits/GPA, and previous grades in UWM English courses?