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A Research On Big Data

Decent Essays

Big Data is a term for very large amounts of formal and informal information that can be analyzed to find trends and patterns. The information can be about anything, but it needs to be processed in a way that will give it value and relevance. It can come in multiple formats and from different sources such as large databases, electronic records, social media, mobile phones, apps, wearable devices such as pedometers, and others. Different data sets are combined and contrasted in different ways to give perspectives and insights about a topic. It can be used in a seemly endless number of ways and people are discovering new ways to use it all the time, some of them entertaining. The largest areas of use include those relating to consumer behavior and choices, business procedures, healthcare, science and research, and law enforcement. People are also discovering its use in their personal lives as well for things like buying a home, dating, fitness routines and travel. With all the potential benefits that can come from big data, however, it also brings a big potential for privacy problems. Extensive personal data can be gathered about people that can be used or abused. In an interview with Harvard Business Review, With Big Data Comes Big Responsibility, Professor Alex “Sandy” Pentland from MIT talks about his ‘New Deal on Data’ to address data collection and privacy. The concept is “a set of principles and practices to define the ownership of data and control its flow” (Harvard

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