Big Data Policy

ITWS-6440

Although the term ‘big data’ is relatively new on the scene, the idea of collecting, protecting, and sharing large data sets has been around since before computers were a major player. Similarly, the concept of a ‘policy,’ high-level guidelines providing a general course of action (or inaction) in a given area, is not new. Putting those two concepts together, however, is a recent phenomenon which has created a set of intriguing challenges. What is ‘open data?’ What does it mean to ‘share’ data? Who makes such policies and how are they implemented? Do data policies look the same all over the world? What are the economic, cultural, and technological implications/impacts of/on a given data policy? How would one even go about understanding and evaluating a data policy? This course takes the basics of policy design and analysis, blends in critical thinking skills, ethics, group dynamics, national perspectives, and international perspectives, and applies it all to the world of big data.

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