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Big Data: Some Ethical Concerns for the Social Sciences

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  • Michael Weinhardt

    (Institute of Sociology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany)

Abstract

While big data (BD) has been around for a while now, the social sciences have been comparatively cautious in its adoption for research purposes. This article briefly discusses the scope and variety of BD, and its research potential and ethical implications for the social sciences and sociology, which derive from these characteristics. For example, BD allows for the analysis of actual (online) behavior and the analysis of networks on a grand scale. The sheer volume and variety of data allow for the detection of rare patterns and behaviors that would otherwise go unnoticed. However, there are also a range of ethical issues of BD that need consideration. These entail, amongst others, the imperative for documentation and dissemination of methods, data, and results, the problems of anonymization and re-identification, and the questions surrounding the ability of stakeholders in big data research and institutionalized bodies to handle ethical issues. There are also grave risks involved in the (mis)use of BD, as it holds great value for companies, criminals, and state actors alike. The article concludes that BD holds great potential for the social sciences, but that there are still a range of practical and ethical issues that need addressing.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Weinhardt, 2021. "Big Data: Some Ethical Concerns for the Social Sciences," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-14, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:10:y:2021:i:2:p:36-:d:486124
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Andreas Erlström & Markus Grillitsch & Ola Hall, 2022. "The geography of connectivity: a review of mobile positioning data for economic geography," Journal of Geographical Systems, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 679-707, October.

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