Developing a data visualization competency framework for librarians: A triangulated approach

Abstract

This study aims to develop a comprehensive competency framework for librarians delivering data visualization (DV) services in Chinese academic libraries, responding to the rapid expansion of DV applications and their growing importance for service innovation and scholarly communication. As DV services become embedded within library operations, librarians’ roles are evolving and increasingly demand diverse and sophisticated competencies, yet existing research remains fragmented and literacy-focused, lacking a systematic framework that captures the capabilities required for DV service delivery. To address this gap, the study adopts a three-stage triangulated design. First, semi-structured interviews with 24 librarians from 16 universities were thematically analyzed to capture practitioners’ internal perspectives on practice-grounded knowledge, skills, and attributes. Second, 136 DV-related job advertisements were analyzed using frequency coding and thematic clustering to identify competency requirements from an external perspective. Third, four focus group discussions reviewed, refined, and integrated the elements into a coherent framework. The findings reveal that as library service roles diversify, competency requirements are shifting toward interdisciplinary collaboration, diversity awareness, and transferable digital and communication skills. The resulting framework comprises 40 elements across the knowledge, skills, and attributes dimensions, providing theoretical grounding and practical guidance for professional development, competency assessment, staffing, and service design. While developed within the Chinese academic context, the framework offers conceptual and structural adaptability for broader application across digital scholarship, research data services, and international library environments.