What is your definition of Big Data? Researchers’ understanding of the phenomenon of the decade

The term Big Data is commonly used to describe a range of different concepts: from the collection and aggregation of vast amounts of data, to a plethora of advanced digital techniques designed to reveal patterns related to human behavior. In spite of its widespread use, the term is still loaded with conceptual vagueness. The aim of this study is to examine the understanding of the meaning of Big Data from the perspectives of researchers in the fields of psychology and sociology in order to examine whether researchers consider currently existing definitions to be adequate and investigate if a standard discipline centric definition is possible. METHODS: Thirty-nine interviews were performed with Swiss and American researchers involved in Big Data research in relevant fields. The interviews were analyzed using thematic coding. RESULTS: No univocal definition of Big Data was found among the respondents and many participants admitted uncertainty towards giving a definition of Big Data. A few participants described Big Data with the traditional “Vs” definition—although they could not agree on the number of Vs. However, most of the researchers preferred a more practical definition, linking it to processes such as data collection and data processing. CONCLUSION: The study identified an overall uncertainty or uneasiness among researchers towards the use of the term Big Data which might derive from the tendency to recognize Big Data as a shifting and evolving cultural phenomenon. Moreover, the currently enacted use of the term as a hyped-up buzzword might further aggravate the conceptual vagueness of Big Data.