This need for data literacy led Meredith Rocchi, an associate professor in the Department of Communication, to co-found the Data Literacy Research Institute.
Rocchi started at the University of Ottawa in 2020, teaching quantitative methods and helping update programs. Soon after, she and psychology colleague Simon Beaudry (now dean of research and creation at the Université du Québec en Outaouais), noticed a troubling trend: despite taking quantitative methods classes, students were not retaining key skills. Rocchi and Beaudry realized the issue was widespread across disciplines and wasn’t just an academic problem—it had real-world consequences. Without the tools to interpret data, students were unprepared for the job market and life beyond university. Poor data literacy can lead to flawed decision-making affecting public health, social issues and even democracy.
Rocchi saw in this skills gap an opportunity. When the Office of the Vice-President Research and Innovation launched a call for institutes in 2022, she and Beaudry, along with Faculty of Medicine colleague Christopher Gravel, submitted a successful proposal for the Data Literacy Research Institute.
The institute’s mission quickly expanded beyond updating methods courses to supporting not just students but also researchers and the public in making data-informed decisions.
Today, the institute is working on several fronts. Rocchi and her team are developing updated curricula that emphasize data literacy and critical thinking about data. They’re also studying how data is shared in the media, to ensure that journalists and the public can interpret numbers correctly. The two research streams have been funded by an SSHRC Insight Grant and an SSHRC Insight Development Grant, respectively.
The institute's impact has already been significant. Rocchi has been working with partners in fields like law, medicine and public health to offer training on data literacy, help researchers better communicate their findings and develop best practices for representing data. As the demand for these skills grows, the Data Literacy Research Institute is positioned to become a leader in reshaping how we understand, teach and use data in all aspects of society.