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Researchers June 8, 2020
Effectively Managing Big Data for Research Projects
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In the world of academics, as well as all other industries, big data is the new driving force behind everything from product development to marketing. When it comes to research projects, this data gives researchers an almost immediate answer to questions they have and an idea of where their work is leading towards.

Big data is the result of an evolutionary morphing that came from the rise of the Digital Era. So much technology has macro and micro effects that must be analyzed to determine effectiveness. With big data, researchers can adjust their work as necessary when the data supports a change. But although there are a lot of advantages, there are also many disadvantages to the use of this mostly quantitative analysis.

The Benefits of Big Data and Research

The debate of whether big data should be as relevant in research as it is has been heard across the board, but it’s undeniable that there are many benefits to its use. Big data offers researchers access to microscopic analysis of a bigger picture, and a macro vision of what those microcosms mean.

With big data, researchers now get to break down factors like:

●      Macro data through a variety of sources that collect information through smartphones, surveys, social media, and other methods

●      A high volume of information that can be sorted through, categorized, and separated as necessary based upon a vast array of demographics, including the coveted minority groups that are frequently missed, that would never before have been possible

●      Almost immediate responses to requests for data transfers, giving researchers the most up-to-date information available and constantly evolving and changing based on new algorithms

●      Information that is given out based on quantitative measures through artificial intelligence collection, leaving it bias-free and allowing the researcher to work based on the assumption that the metadata they are using is accurate and timely

The traditional method of spending hours, and sometimes days or weeks, scouring journals and articles for the necessary information is no longer relevant. Now, researchers can get access to what they need almost always at the click of a button.

The Challenges That Must Be Addressed With Big Data

However, even with all of those benefits, it’s not uncommon for researchers who use big data to drive their projects to end up with unsuccessful outcomes. There are challenges that have to be understood so they can be prevented before big data is used.

When researchers jump into the world of metadata and quantitative information collected on a global level without knowing what to watch out for, it can create problems with their outcomes.

As a researcher attempting to incorporate this method of information into your work, it’s important to be aware of potential problems such as:

●      Invalid results when the objectives are not scoped correctly and narrowed down to the right key terms

●      Researchers who don’t know how to use the web crawling features, SEO tactics for analysis, and other necessary aspects to mining for big data

●      Too much data to sort through and not all of it relevant to the task at hand

●      Data that is collected without clear boundaries to make it structured

●      Inconsistent data collection methods throughout the globe

●      The concern of whether the researcher has rights to the data collected and can use the information obtained in their research project

●      The inability to find legitimate data from available sources

●      IT challenges that the researcher may not be equipped to handle

●      Potential leaks when the data is on the researcher’s server and there is not a sufficient security measure in place

All of these challenges are real concerns that scholars must keep in mind when they enter the field of big data use for their research. The comfort level of each individual researcher’s capability to handle the obstacles and appreciate the benefits will determine the amount of big data used in their project.

Organize Your Big Data Results and Display Them With Impactio

Big data means you’re going to need a way to demonstrate how you used it and what the outcomes were. With Impactio, you can do all that and more in one simple to use platform.

Impactio lets experts like you finalize their research results, then turn them into a professional PDF document or web page with headers, subsections, charts, tables, and graphs.

Once you publish your work, Impactio turns your data into more data, following the trail of your research as it makes an academic or societal impact. With Impactio, you have everything you need to publish your work and connect with other experts around the world in one program.

Tags Big DataResearch ProjectsResearch
About the author
Jason Collins- Writer
Jason is a writer for many niche brands with experience “bringing stories to life” for both startups and corporate partners.
Jason Collins
Writer
Jason is a writer for many niche brands with experience “bringing stories to life” for both startups and corporate partners.
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