Abstract
The advent of extremely large datasets, known as “big data”, has been heralded as the instantiation of a new science, requiring a new kind of practitioner: the “data scientist”. This paper explores the concept of big data, drawing attention to a number of new issues – not least ethical concerns, and questions surrounding interpretation – which big data sets present. It is observed that the skills required for data scientists are in some respects closer to those traditionally associated with the arts and humanities than to those associated with the natural sciences; and it is urged that big data presents new opportunities for dialogue, especially concerning hermeneutical issues, for theologians and data scientists.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 568-582 |
| Journal | Zygon |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 12 Aug 2015 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- analysis, big data, data scientist, ethics, hermeneutics, interpretation.