Big Data

What is “big data” and why do some fear its applications within the future of scholarship?  Students should be able to define the term and should also be able to explain some of its leading pros and cons.  A recent column from the New York Times by professors Gary Marcus and Ernest Davis offers one useful introduction to this important topic.  It should be clear even to those who resist over-reliance on data, that the skills required to create multi-media data-driven presentations are currently at a premium.  This recent blog post offers some advice about infographics from Nate Silver, one of the leading practitioners in this field today.