The Context of “Big Data”
You may be tired of hearing about it, but the big data revolution is upon us. Forecasts of big data’s impact range from enthusiastic praise about its capacity for global transformation to sober cautionary notes regarding potential misuse and unintended consequences. Regardless of which theory you subscribe to, there is no doubt that this exponential growth in the amount and type of recorded information has potentially profound implications for how we live our lives.
Nowhere is this truer than in public policy debates about the use of data collected by federal, state and local government programs. Government public assistance, social service, health, and education programs each collect a tremendous amount of information on children and families as part of their day-to-day operations. These include demographic characteristics of individuals who receive services; the timing, type, and intensity of services received; and indicators of individual well-being for families, parents, and children. On their own, the data collected by each separate public service agency can provide useful information on the reach and effectiveness of individual programs. When combined across data sources, these data can help provide more detailed portraits of family and community life that can inform policy and improve service delivery.
[For more of this story, written by Michael Lopez, go to http://www.childtrends.org/?nr...sthash.DeNUwh97.dpuf]
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