A data quality checklist for undergraduate data stewardship: Development, implementation, and evidence from two library courses

Abstract

Data quality is a top priority in data science and a critical aspect of data lifecycle management. This study introduces a student-centered, co-created Data Quality Checklist designed for undergraduate students in higher education. By involving students as co-creators, the checklist emphasizes six critical data quality dimensions: credibility, timeliness, completeness, accuracy, consistency, and deduplication. The checklist is integrated into two Information and Library Science courses that support undergraduate data literacy and data stewardship across disciplinary contexts. Through these course-based case studies, the paper demonstrates how the checklist helped students connect data quality concepts with practical evaluation, project development, and reflection activities. Student reflections and course evaluation data show that the checklist supported their awareness of data quality issues and their ability to identify and address them, highlighting its role in promoting data stewardship and responsible data management. The co-creation process also fostered student engagement, ownership, and critical thinking, contributing to a more inclusive and effective learning environment for the students.