Big data

Big Data

Big Data (/bɪɡ ˈdeɪtə/) is a term that describes the large volume of data – both structured and unstructured – that inundates a business on a day-to-day basis. The term is often associated with the fields of Data Science, Information Technology, and Healthcare Analytics.

Etymology

The term "Big Data" is believed to have originated from the field of Data Science in the late 1990s, but it gained popularity in the early 2000s. The term is used to describe the exponential growth and availability of data, both structured and unstructured.

Definition

Big Data refers to the vast quantities of data that are generated by digital processes, systems, and networks. It includes data sets with sizes beyond the ability of commonly used software tools to capture, curate, manage, and process data within a tolerable elapsed time. Big Data sizes are a constantly moving target, as of 2012 ranging from a few dozen terabytes to many Petabytes of data in a single data set.

Application in Healthcare

In the field of Healthcare, Big Data can be used in many ways, such as in Predictive Analytics for patient care, Genomic Sequencing, and for the analysis of health records for research purposes. It can also be used in Public Health for tracking disease patterns and managing epidemics.

Related Terms

Data Mining: The process of discovering patterns in large data sets involving methods at the intersection of machine learning, statistics, and database systems.
Machine Learning: A type of artificial intelligence (AI) that allows software applications to become more accurate in predicting outcomes without being explicitly programmed.
Artificial Intelligence: The simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems.
Data Analysis: The process of inspecting, cleaning, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Big data
Wikipedia's article - Big data

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