Big Data describes the large volume of data, both structured and unstructured, that inundates a business on a day-to-day basis. But it's not the amount of data that's important. It's what organizations do with the data that matters. Analyzing big data can lead to better decisions and strategies. However, big data also brings privacy concerns and technical challenges.
To view the Big Data Landscape in 2016, click here.
Watch this video (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
that explains Big Data and how it works:
Open Data is data that can be freely used, shared and built upon by anyone, anywhere, and for any purpose without copyright restrictions. Open data is readily available in many government sites which in turn, provides transparency in processes and operations.
Watch this video (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
that explains Open Data in a nutshell.
Watch this video (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
that explains Data.gov.
Now that you have watched these videos, we will now test our skills using Data.gov. Have fun exploring!
This assignment will be prepared in a Microsoft Word file. Your report should be approximately one to two pg long. You do not need to include a cover page. You do need to properly cite any resources you might use in APA style, and you should include a references page for these resources.
Explore Big Data
- Go to www.data.gov (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Select the topic: Health.
- View the dataset for Hospital Charge Data.
- Watch this quick tutorial for how to filter data (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Filter the data for the state where you currently live.
- Filter the data for your city or nearest city if your city is not listed.
- Filter the data for Simple Pneumonia.
Answer these questions:
- What city and state did you use?
- What is the average medical payment for your city and state for Simple Pneumonia?
- For what companies or organizations might this data be useful?
- Name one other topic and dataset in this site that you find interesting. What findings about it interest you?
Research Big Data and Open Data
Conduct some research on Big Data and Open Data and respond to the following questions: Make sure you cite your sources in APA format.
- Why would a company adopt Big Data?Name at least two benefits to using Big Data.
- Name and describe two industries that would use Big Data.How do they use Big Data?
- Name at least two private sector (non-government) organizations that use Open Data.Why did they decide to use Open Data instead of Big Data?