Big data imaginaries of data pioneers: changed data relations and challenges to agency
Date
2022-03-08
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Abstract
Suurandmeid kujutatakse sageli kui midagi müstilist, mis toob kaasa efektiivsema, õiglasema, ning parema hüvede jaotamise ning võimaldab meil paremini mõista ja uurida erinevad ühiskondlikke protsesse. Suurandmetel põhinevate analüüside taga on alati aga (andme) eksperdid, kellel on suur roll nii tänase digiühiskonna kujundamisel kui ka uurimisel. See, kuidas nemad suurandmeid mõistavad ning mil moel uusi andmete kogumist ning analüüsimist puudutavaid võimalusi kasutavad mõjutab aga ka seda, mida nii üksikisikud kui ka teised institutsioonide andmetega seoses teha saavad. Doktoritöö „Andmepioneeride suurandmeid puudutavad kujutluspildid: muutunud andmesuhted ja agentsust puudutavad väljakutsed“ eesmärk on analüüsida suurandmetega seotud kujutelmi – selgitada välja, milliseid võimalusi ning väljakutseid andmeeksperdid kui andmepioneerid näevad seoses suurandmete analüüsimise ja andmetehnoloogiate kasutamisega ning kuivõrd on need seotud ühiskonnas ja meedias domineerivate kujutelmadega. Selle eesmärgi täitmiseks tugineb käesolev töö intervjuudele Eesti andmeekspertidega, süstemaatilisele sotsiaalmeedia andmeuuringuid puudutaval ülevaatel kui ka representatiivsetel populatsiooni küsitluse andmetele.
Doktoritöö tulemustest nähtub, et suurandmeid kujutatakse andmeekspertide poolt enamjaolt kui väärtuslikku ressurssi, mis pakub võimalusi muuta otsustusprotsesse kiiremaks, aga ka paremini mõista sotsiaalseid protsesse ja uurida inimeste käitumist. Ekspertide kujutelmades on andmed ka üha enam vaadeldavad kui kaup või kapital, mis on oluliseks konkurentsieeliseks nii era- kui ka avaliku sektori organisatsioonide jaoks. Ka toob töö välja mitmeid takistusi nii suurandmete kasutamisel kui ka uurimisel nagu andmetele juurdepääsu probleemid, ebapiisavad oskused ja teadmised suurandmete analüüside osas, andmete jagamiseks vajalike standardite puudumine, andmesubjekti õiguste kaitseks seotud seaduslikud piirangud, aga ka muutunud andmesuhted.
The use of big data is often portrayed both in the media and by practitioners as an opportunity, an increase in efficiency or an opportunity to better control certain processes in society. Data, especially big data, is often referred to as something mystical in these contexts. At the same time, there are always (data) experts behind the analysis based on big data, who play a major role in shaping and researching today's digital society. The aim of the dissertation "Big data imaginaries of data pioneers: changed data relations and challenges to agency" The aim of my thesis was to analyze how are the dominant big data imaginaries actualized and elaborated amongst data pioneers, how has this affected the scholarly practices and challenged the individual and collective agency. To achieve this goal, I interviewed the Estonian data experts, collected data by using a systematic review method as well as representative population survey data. The results of the dissertation show that big data is mostly seen by data experts as a valuable resource that provides tools to improve governance through better and more efficient decision-making. Moreover, it is seen to provide an opportunity to better understand social processes and study human behavior. Data in the imagination of experts is also increasingly seen as commodity or capital, which is a significant competitive advantage for both private and public sector organizations. This thesis also brings out several barriers in relation to using and researching big data like the access to data, insufficient skills and knowledge to gather or analyze (big) data, lack of unified standards needed for sharing data between different parties, legal restrictions usually posed to protect the data subjects’ rights, technological affordances as well as changed data relations
The use of big data is often portrayed both in the media and by practitioners as an opportunity, an increase in efficiency or an opportunity to better control certain processes in society. Data, especially big data, is often referred to as something mystical in these contexts. At the same time, there are always (data) experts behind the analysis based on big data, who play a major role in shaping and researching today's digital society. The aim of the dissertation "Big data imaginaries of data pioneers: changed data relations and challenges to agency" The aim of my thesis was to analyze how are the dominant big data imaginaries actualized and elaborated amongst data pioneers, how has this affected the scholarly practices and challenged the individual and collective agency. To achieve this goal, I interviewed the Estonian data experts, collected data by using a systematic review method as well as representative population survey data. The results of the dissertation show that big data is mostly seen by data experts as a valuable resource that provides tools to improve governance through better and more efficient decision-making. Moreover, it is seen to provide an opportunity to better understand social processes and study human behavior. Data in the imagination of experts is also increasingly seen as commodity or capital, which is a significant competitive advantage for both private and public sector organizations. This thesis also brings out several barriers in relation to using and researching big data like the access to data, insufficient skills and knowledge to gather or analyze (big) data, lack of unified standards needed for sharing data between different parties, legal restrictions usually posed to protect the data subjects’ rights, technological affordances as well as changed data relations
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Keywords
big data, data analysis, datafication, information-based society