Researchers’ skills have yet to catch up with Big Data

Collecting, analysing and interpreting large datasets requires a combination of abilities that is presently too rare. For Big Data to meet its potential, training and organisations both need to change, says Evgeny Klochikhin.

Big Data is a fascination of our era. Hardware and software applications are now capable of analysing huge data sets in reasonable time, and are increasingly dependent on the stable flow of information. The Big Data market is projected to almost triple in the next five years, and data firms are emerging and growing rapidly.

The list of possible applications is almost infinite. In science, data experts are working on cyber-infrastructure and integrated data platforms, finding better ways to treat disease and improving diagnostics through enhanced biomedical imaging and bioengineering. In policy, tools for collecting and analysing administrative data are increasingly important sources of evidence for improving governance and implementation.