Big Data: Rewards and Risks for the Social Sciences

Both applicants have been extensively involved in science data (Big Data, Small Data, and the transitions among them) and have conducted ethnographic and qualitative studies of data creation and use, but have recently shifted their interests and work to social science data. Although they have not formally worked together, they have worked on the same large science data project (Center for Embedded Networked Sensing at University of California, Los Angeles). More recent interactions and conversations have brought them together to share interests and concerns. To perhaps begin collaboration, they are interested in jointly applying for this workshop. In this paper, we briefly discuss three issues that are of interest to us in the realm of big data and the social sciences.