What is Big Data Dr Alasdair Rutherford University

What is Big Data? Dr Alasdair Rutherford University of Stirling

Big Data and Data Science What is “Big Data” anyway? Isn’t it all just hype?

How “big” is Big Data?

The three four five`V’s Volume Variety Velocity Veracity Value

Classification of Big Data • Human-sourced information • Traditional business systems • Machine-generated data UNECE. (2013) Classification of types of big data. Accessed online at http: //www 1. unece. org/stat/platform/display/bigdata/Classifi cation+of+Types+of+Big+Data

Big Unstructured Data Machine-generated • Satellite images – weather data, google earth; • Scientific data – earthquake, atmosphere; • Photographs and video – CCTV, traffic; Human-generated • Text – essays, reports, doctors’ notes; • Social media – activity, friendships, conversation; • Website content – writing, video, images.

Big Data and Social Research Increasing access to administrative data: • Health records • Education records • Income and pension records • Organisational data • Internal data on service-users

Big Data and Social Research Potential to link data for social research: • Link administrative datasets together e. g. health and social care; • Link administrative data to social survey data e. g. charity data and volunteering; • Link service-user data to administrative data to measure outcomes

Analysis of Big Data Significant challenges in preparing data for analysis – structure, coding, accuracy, missing data, interpretation Large databases – limits of storage and processing power Ethical issues – privacy, confidentiality and anonymity

Does it have to be big? Making better use of increasingly available data Understanding the data generated by your organisation Combining internal organisation data with external administrative or survey data Understanding how insights from data can support your work

What is Big Data? Dr Alasdair Rutherford University of Stirling