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https://doi.org/10.12759/hsr.45.2020.3.209-243
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The Quality of Big Data: Development, Problems, and Possibilities of Use of Process-Generated Data in the Digital Age
Die Qualität von Big Data: Entwicklung, Probleme und Chancen der Nutzung von prozessgenerierten Daten im digitalen Zeitalter
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Abstract The paper introduces the HSR Forum on digital data by discussing what big data are. The authors show that big data are not a new type of social science data but actually one of the oldest forms of social science data. In addition, big data are not necessarily digital data. Regardless, current method... view more
The paper introduces the HSR Forum on digital data by discussing what big data are. The authors show that big data are not a new type of social science data but actually one of the oldest forms of social science data. In addition, big data are not necessarily digital data. Regardless, current methodological debates often assume that “big data” are “digital data.” The authors thus also show that digital data have a big drawback concerning data quality because they do not cover the whole population – due to so-called digital divides, not everybody is on the internet, and who is on the internet, is socially structured. The result is a selection bias. Based on this analysis, the paper concludes that big data and digital data are data like any other type of data – they have both advantages and specific blind spots. So rather than glorifying or demonising them, it seems much more sensible to discuss which specific advantages and drawbacks they have as well as when and how they are better suited for answering specific research questions and when and how other types of data are better suited – these are the questions that are addressed in this HSR Forum.... view less
Keywords
data capture; data quality; digital divide; Internet; social structure; historical social research; methodology; empirical social research; digitalization; historical development
Classification
Methods and Techniques of Data Collection and Data Analysis, Statistical Methods, Computer Methods
Free Keywords
big data; mass data; process-generated data; process-produced data; digital data; digital methods; computational social sciences; historical sociology; survey methodology; corpus linguistics; social science methodology; data quality; social research
Document language
English
Publication Year
2020
Page/Pages
p. 209-243
Journal
Historical Social Research, 45 (2020) 3
ISSN
0172-6404
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed