Kevin Hanegan is the author of Data Literacy in Practice, we got the chance to sit down with him and find out more about his experience of writing with Packt.
Q: What is/are your specialist tech area(s)?
Kevin: Data Literacy, Data-informed decision-making, Education and learning, Upskilling
Q: How did you become an author for Packt? Tell us about your journey. What was your motivation for writing this book?
Kevin: I want to help educate people on the importance of data literacy. People hear the term, but many times they do not understand what it really means, that it is relevant to more than just data scientists, and why it is important for them in both work and in life. Data is everywhere, and we are susceptible to making less than ideal decisions with it when we do not fully understand the context and meaning of the data that is presented.
Q: What kind of research did you do, and how long did you spend researching before beginning the book?
Kevin: I have been practicing and educating people on data literacy for over a decade.
I took a fair amount of time to research the hardware, software, people and process components of BI and DW before penning down the chapters. The research was ongoing to be honest – because as I was penning down chapters, new questions arose in me and by association, I figured out that those questions will be asked by the reader as well. So every topic was well researched – some on the spot, some preemptively.
Q: What’s your take on the technologies discussed in the book? Where do you see these technologies heading in the future?
Kevin: Data Literacy, and related competencies and skills , should become more mainstream in kids education as well as in universities.
Q: Why should readers choose this book over others already on the market? How would you differentiate your book from its competition?
Kevin: This book does not just talk about theory and why data literacy is important. It gives practical advice for all roles on how they can improve their data literacy.
Q: What are the key takeaways you want readers to come away with from the book?
Kevin: Data Literacy is for everyone; data can help solve world challenges, but it can just as easily lead us to make less than ideal decisions due to how our brain works; readers should leave with an understanding of what they can do to become more data literate.
Q. What advice would you give to readers learning tech? Do you have any top tips?
Kevin: Don’t just focus on the technology and how it works, but also focus on how to apply it to your specific situations.t of view.
Q. Do you have a blog that readers can follow?
Kevin: https://www.qlik.com/blog/kevin-hanegan/
Q. Can you share any blogs, websites, and forums to help readers gain a holistic view of the tech they are learning?
Kevin:https://www.qlik.com/blog/kevin-hanegan/
Q. How would you describe your author journey with Packt? Would you recommend Packt to aspiring authors?
Kevin: Yes, it has been fun and painless.
Q. How did you organize, plan, and prioritize your work and write the book?
Kevin: I used a mind map to organize topics.
Q. What is that one writing tip that you found most crucial and would like to share with aspiring authors?
Kevin: Start with an outline and then expand from there. I typically start by building powerpoints so I can get the flow and themes down, and can easily rearrange the slides. Once I have that flow and storyboard complete, I will then start writing out each section.
Q. Would you like to share your social handles? If so, please share.
Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinhanegan/
You can find Kevin‘s book on Amazon by following this link: Please click here
Data Literacy in Practice – Available on Amazon.com
