Departmental Papers (ASC)
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
1-1-2013
Publication Source
Policy and Internet
Volume
5
Issue
2
Start Page
147
Last Page
160
DOI
10.1002/1944-2866.POI328
Abstract
Digital technologies keep track of everything we do and say while we are online, and we spend online an increasing portion of our time. Databases hidden behind web services and applications are constantly fed with information of our movements and communication patterns, and a significant dimension of our lives, quantified to unprecedented levels, gets stored in those vast online repositories. This article considers some of the implications of this torrent of data for social science research, and for the types of questions we can ask of the world we inhabit. The goal of the article is twofold: to explain why, in spite of all the data, theory still matters to build credible stories of what the data reveal; and to show how this allows social scientists to revisit old questions at the intersection of new technologies and disciplinary approaches. The article also considers how Big Data research can transform policymaking, with a focus on how it can help us improve communication and governance in policy-relevant domains.
Copyright/Permission Statement
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: González-Bailón, S. (2013). “Social Science in the Era of Big Data”, Policy & Internet, 5(2), 147- 160., which has been published in final form at [Link to final article using the 10.1002/1944-2866.POI328. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving [link to http://olabout.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-820227.html#terms].
Keywords
networks, complexity, interactions, social influence, public opinion, governance
Recommended Citation
Gonález-Bailón, S. (2013). Social Science in the Era of Big Data. Policy and Internet, 5 (2), 147-160. https://doi.org/10.1002/1944-2866.POI328
Date Posted: 27 March 2017
This document has been peer reviewed.