On Big Data: How should we make sense of them?

The topic of Big Data is today extensively discussed, not only on the technical ground. This also depends on the fact that Big Data are frequently presented as allowing an epistemological paradigm shift in scientific research, which would be able to supersede the traditional hypothesis-driven metho...

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Main Author: Fulvio Mazzocchi
Format: Article
Language:Catalan
Published: Universitat de València 2021-01-01
Series:Mètode Science Studies Journal: Annual Review
Subjects:
Online Access:https://turia.uv.es/index.php/Metode/article/view/15258
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author Fulvio Mazzocchi
author_facet Fulvio Mazzocchi
author_sort Fulvio Mazzocchi
collection DOAJ
description The topic of Big Data is today extensively discussed, not only on the technical ground. This also depends on the fact that Big Data are frequently presented as allowing an epistemological paradigm shift in scientific research, which would be able to supersede the traditional hypothesis-driven method. In this piece, I critically scrutinize two key claims that are usually associated with this approach, namely, the fact that data speak for themselves, deflating the role of theories and models, and the primacy of correlation over causation. My intention is both to acknowledge the value of Big Data analytics as innovative heuristics and to provide a balanced account of what could be expected and what not from it.
format Article
id doaj-art-c509b6b2cd2e4e05b3acbd93b68624da
institution Kabale University
issn 2174-3487
2174-9221
language Catalan
publishDate 2021-01-01
publisher Universitat de València
record_format Article
series Mètode Science Studies Journal: Annual Review
spelling doaj-art-c509b6b2cd2e4e05b3acbd93b68624da2024-11-18T16:01:55ZcatUniversitat de ValènciaMètode Science Studies Journal: Annual Review2174-34872174-92212021-01-011110.7203/metode.11.15258On Big Data: How should we make sense of them?Fulvio Mazzocchi0<p>Institute of Heritage Science&nbsp;of the CNR (Rome, Italy).</p> The topic of Big Data is today extensively discussed, not only on the technical ground. This also depends on the fact that Big Data are frequently presented as allowing an epistemological paradigm shift in scientific research, which would be able to supersede the traditional hypothesis-driven method. In this piece, I critically scrutinize two key claims that are usually associated with this approach, namely, the fact that data speak for themselves, deflating the role of theories and models, and the primacy of correlation over causation. My intention is both to acknowledge the value of Big Data analytics as innovative heuristics and to provide a balanced account of what could be expected and what not from it. https://turia.uv.es/index.php/Metode/article/view/15258Big Datadata-driven scienceepistemologyend of theorycausalityopacity of algorithm
spellingShingle Fulvio Mazzocchi
On Big Data: How should we make sense of them?
Mètode Science Studies Journal: Annual Review
Big Data
data-driven science
epistemology
end of theory
causality
opacity of algorithm
title On Big Data: How should we make sense of them?
title_full On Big Data: How should we make sense of them?
title_fullStr On Big Data: How should we make sense of them?
title_full_unstemmed On Big Data: How should we make sense of them?
title_short On Big Data: How should we make sense of them?
title_sort on big data how should we make sense of them
topic Big Data
data-driven science
epistemology
end of theory
causality
opacity of algorithm
url https://turia.uv.es/index.php/Metode/article/view/15258
work_keys_str_mv AT fulviomazzocchi onbigdatahowshouldwemakesenseofthem