In the age analog, ukuqoqa idatha mayelana nokuziphatha-owenza lokho lapho-kwakubiza, futhi ngenxa yalokho, abavamile. Manje, kule age digital, ukuziphatha kwezinkulungwane zezigidi zabantu elotshiwe, ligcinwe, bese analyzable. Ngokwesibonelo, ngaso sonke isikhathi uma uchofoza website, shaya ucingo ngomakhalekhukhwini yakho, noma ukhokhele okuthile nge-credit card yakho, irekhodi digital izenzo zakho wadala futhi agcinwe ngu ibhizinisi. Ngenxa yokuthi lezi idatha kukhona a leyavela zonke izenzo zabantu usuku, ngokuvamile abizwa ngokuthi izibazi digital. Ngaphezu kwalezi iminonjana aphethwe amabhizinisi, ohulumeni idatha enothe mayelana kokubili abantu kanye namabhizinisi, idatha okuyinto ngokuvamile zithwetshulwa ngomshini bese analyzable. Zizonke lezi zamarekhodi ebhizinisi kanye nohulumeni ngokuvamile abizwa ngokuthi idatha big.
Izikhukhula olokhu ekuphumeni idatha big kusho ukuthi siye sashukumisa eveni lapho idatha zokuziphatha kwakukuncane ezweni lapho idatha zokuziphatha kukhulu. Kodwa, ngenxa yokuthi lezi idatha izinhlobo kuqhathaniswa entsha, isamba ngeshwa yocwaningo bezisebenzisa libukeka ososayensi zifa nokujaha idatha etholakalayo. Lesi sahluko, esikhundleni, inikeza ndlela olunezimiso ekuqondeni kumitfombolwati idatha nendlela angasetshenziswa. Lokhu kuqonda acebile kufanele kukusize ukufanisa imibuzo yakho ucwaningo kangcono imithombo ezifanele idatha. Noma, uma imithombo enjalo ekhona angekho, ukukukhuthaza ukuba ukuqoqa idatha yakho siqu usebenzisa imiqondo ezahlukweni esizayo.
Isinyathelo sokuqala ukuba sibone ukuthi yini esingayifunda idatha big kangakanani ukuqaphela ukuthi kuba ingxenye isigaba ebanzi idatha esiye isetshenziselwe ucwaningo social iminyaka eminingi: idatha obubonakalayo. Cishe, idatha elibukelayo kuba nanoma iyiphi idatha umphumela wokugcina esimisweni sezenhlalo ngaphandle ukugxambukela ngandlela-thile. Indlela ongahluziwe ukucabanga ngalokhu wukuthi idatha elibukelayo konke akuhileli ukukhuluma nabantu (isib, survey, isihloko Isahluko 3) noma ukushintsha izimo zabantu (isib, kwenziwa ucwaningo, isihloko Isahluko 4). Ngakho, ngaphezu kwezamabhizinisi nakuhulumeni amarekhodi, idatha elibukelayo futhi kufaka izinto ezifana umbhalo Izihloko zamaphephandaba nezithombe satellite.
Lesi sahluko has izingxenye ezintathu. Okokuqala, eSigabeni 2.2, ngichaze idatha big ngokuningiliziwe futhi acacise umehluko oyisisekelo phakathi kwalo futhi idatha ngokuvamile zasetshenziselwa ucwaningo social esikhathini esidlule. Kwabe sekuthi ngo-Section 2.3, ngichaze izici eziyishumi ezivamile of big imithombo data. Ukuqonda lezi izici kusenza sikwazi ngokushesha ziqaphele izimfanelo ezinhle nobuthakathaka babantu imithombo ekhona futhi uyosisiza ukubophela imithombo emisha ukuthi izokwakhiwa esikhathini esizayo. Ekugcineni, ngo-Section 2.4, ngichaze amasu ucwaningo ezintathu eziyinhloko ongazisebenzisa ukuze nifunde idatha elibukelayo: izinto yokubala, ukubikezela izinto, futhi approximating UCWANINGO.