What is your definition of Big Data? Researchers' understanding of the phenomenon of the decade.
METHODS:Thirty-nine interviews were performed with Swiss and American researchers involved in Big Data research in relevant fields. The interviews were analyzed using thematic coding. RESULTS:No univocal definition of Big Data was found among the respondents and many participants admitted uncertaint...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228987 |
| _version_ | 1818736083772375040 |
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| author | Maddalena Favaretto Eva De Clercq Christophe Olivier Schneble Bernice Simone Elger |
| author_facet | Maddalena Favaretto Eva De Clercq Christophe Olivier Schneble Bernice Simone Elger |
| author_sort | Maddalena Favaretto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | METHODS:Thirty-nine interviews were performed with Swiss and American researchers involved in Big Data research in relevant fields. The interviews were analyzed using thematic coding. RESULTS:No univocal definition of Big Data was found among the respondents and many participants admitted uncertainty towards giving a definition of Big Data. A few participants described Big Data with the traditional "Vs" definition-although they could not agree on the number of Vs. However, most of the researchers preferred a more practical definition, linking it to processes such as data collection and data processing. CONCLUSION:The study identified an overall uncertainty or uneasiness among researchers towards the use of the term Big Data which might derive from the tendency to recognize Big Data as a shifting and evolving cultural phenomenon. Moreover, the currently enacted use of the term as a hyped-up buzzword might further aggravate the conceptual vagueness of Big Data. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T00:31:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-43f8ed86cdae495dba0c7110dd790099 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T00:31:31Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-43f8ed86cdae495dba0c7110dd7900992022-12-21T21:27:07ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032020-01-01152e022898710.1371/journal.pone.0228987What is your definition of Big Data? Researchers' understanding of the phenomenon of the decade.Maddalena FavarettoEva De ClercqChristophe Olivier SchnebleBernice Simone ElgerMETHODS:Thirty-nine interviews were performed with Swiss and American researchers involved in Big Data research in relevant fields. The interviews were analyzed using thematic coding. RESULTS:No univocal definition of Big Data was found among the respondents and many participants admitted uncertainty towards giving a definition of Big Data. A few participants described Big Data with the traditional "Vs" definition-although they could not agree on the number of Vs. However, most of the researchers preferred a more practical definition, linking it to processes such as data collection and data processing. CONCLUSION:The study identified an overall uncertainty or uneasiness among researchers towards the use of the term Big Data which might derive from the tendency to recognize Big Data as a shifting and evolving cultural phenomenon. Moreover, the currently enacted use of the term as a hyped-up buzzword might further aggravate the conceptual vagueness of Big Data.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228987 |
| spellingShingle | Maddalena Favaretto Eva De Clercq Christophe Olivier Schneble Bernice Simone Elger What is your definition of Big Data? Researchers' understanding of the phenomenon of the decade. PLoS ONE |
| title | What is your definition of Big Data? Researchers' understanding of the phenomenon of the decade. |
| title_full | What is your definition of Big Data? Researchers' understanding of the phenomenon of the decade. |
| title_fullStr | What is your definition of Big Data? Researchers' understanding of the phenomenon of the decade. |
| title_full_unstemmed | What is your definition of Big Data? Researchers' understanding of the phenomenon of the decade. |
| title_short | What is your definition of Big Data? Researchers' understanding of the phenomenon of the decade. |
| title_sort | what is your definition of big data researchers understanding of the phenomenon of the decade |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228987 |
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