69367 Science and Big Data

Description

Data is everywhere and part of our daily lives in more ways than most realise. The amount of digital data that exists is growing exponentially; according to estimates, global creation of data will top 180 zettabytes by 2025. Big data promises to revolutionise the production of knowledge within and beyond science, by enabling novel and highly efficient ways to plan, conduct, disseminate and assess research. Innovative research that leverages big data can dramatically advance the fields of science but can also raise new ethical challenges for managers.

This subject explores issues around the analysis and management of big data. Students learn basic data analysis using both graphical and statistical techniques. Also explored are issues relating to privacy and the ethical management of big data sets, for example in the context of personal health, ecology and sustainability. The course also introduces students to questions of sovereignty and informed consent as relating to areas concerning Indigenous Australians.