About

Interactive reporting (formerly Hyperion, formerly BrioQuery) has been both an incredible resource, and a source of challenges for some here at UW-Madison. In July, 2015 an effort to form a user community of practice brought together stakeholders from across campus to share knowledge and interest in this shared tool. Overwhelming participation in early meetings made it clear that Madison was thirsty for a place to bring questions, innovation, and passion for campus data.

As a result, the Ad Hoc Query Community of Practice (adhoccop) was formed. Since it began, this group fostered rewarding collaboration around data processing tools. During those early days in late 2015, these meetings were an incredible professional development and networking opportunity for individuals who work heavily with campus data and associated tools. In the summer of 2017, the group worked to redefine its purpose in the context of an ever changing data landscape. This period of reflection reaffirmed the need and interest in having a community of practice that focuses on shared data literacy while working to leverage available tools.

Ad hoc querying is still of paramount interest to the group. However, the CoP has a passion for technology and a more expansive approach to working with data than ad hoc querying alone. With this in mind, the members have decided to operate as the Data Wonks. A wonk is a studious and hard working person. This name is a more current representation of the breadth of interests and abilities held by the community. The change marked an effort to adapt to the evolving nature of working with data on campus. The community of practice hopes to capture the scope of excitement around data-driven decision making in this fast-paced technical environment.

The information published here has been made possible by the kind and experienced members of the Data Wonks Community of Practice. As a CoP, the goal of this material is to learn from each other and have an opportunity to develop personally and professionally through the community. It is important to note that this is NOT a replacement for governance led activities, initiatives, policies, or training at UW-Madison. We encourage you to visit the Office of Data Management and Analytic Services for official campus resources and information.

This site and related efforts are an attempt to rally community members while recruiting anyone seeking a network of resources relating to data and technology at UW-Madison. Click here to learn about how you can get involved.