Getting to grips with big data

Cardiff Business School’s latest Executive Education Breakfast Briefing discussed a contemporary hot topic that is both a challenge and an opportunity for the business community – big data.

The briefing, titled Big Data – Unpacked and Demystified, was delivered by Dr Pete Burnap, from Cardiff University’s School of Computer Science and Informatics was held on Thursday 19 January 2017.

Dr Burnap is noted for his data-driven and interdisciplinary research in the developing field of data science. He works closely with the School of Social Sciences and the School of Engineering and is Director of the Social Data Science Lab.

Almost 70 people attended the briefing, the first of 2017’s programme, to understand more about the benefits and opportunities that big data, specifically social data, can provide, from efficiency improvements to enhanced engagement with staff and customers.

Dr Burnap highlighted how the work of the Social Data Science Lab combines computer, social, political, health and mathematical scientists to use new forms of data to understand and explain social processes and interactions.

In an involved briefing, Dr Burnap highlighted tools and methodologies that can elicit economic and social value from data. He referenced the wealth of knowledge, expertise and ways of monitoring data and information that exist, including sentiment and language analysis used in recent projects concerned with online hate speech. The emphasis was on using that expertise and creating opportunities to practically apply theories in partnership with business and other associates. Dr Burnap encouraged the business audience to consider their own data and utilise the University’s research capabilities to make it work harder for them, while enabling new research and innovations.

The briefing stimulated a candid and in depth question and answer session which interrogated further the potential future learnings and applications for social data.

Watch a live capture recording of the briefing.

The Cardiff Business School Executive Education Breakfast Briefing - Building a 21st Century Transport Network in South Wales - sponsored by Bruton Knowles, will take place on Thursday 9 February 2017. Professor Calvin Jones and Professor Anthony Beresford will set upcoming transport investments within their socio-economic and technological contexts, to stimulate a debate on just how to ensure they are fit for purpose into the longer term. Register now.