Ali Shiri, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta
Abstract
Understanding, exploring and investigating big data to inform the development of policies and best practices requires a solid analysis, identification and mapping of the key facets and aspects of big data. The objective of this paper is two-fold: a) to provide a facet analysis of big data key topics and issues and b) to present a select number of information science research methodologies and study frameworks that could have the potential to be applied to research on big data. Six facets, namely Data type, Environment, People, Operations and Activities, Analytics, and Metadata are introduced to capture the key aspects of big data. Furthermore, sub-facets are created for each facet to demonstrate specific aspects that constitute the key topics. A number of suitable methodological frameworks from information science are introduced along with their potential applications for big data.
Keywords: Big data, Facet analysis, Information science, Research methodologies