In recent years, “big data” has become impossible to ignore and is a common topic of conversation in our offices. Turns out, it’s not only the research industry that’s talking. This morning, I was surprised to see that big data made the front page of our local paper, the Star Tribune.
The article by Adam Belz, “Minnesota companies and workers cache in on big data,” focuses on the demand for people with skills to take unstructured data and turn it into structured data. I’m glad that big data is getting covered in mainstream media and the article makes me feel pretty optimistic for researchers. The analytic skills that many researchers possess should put them in position to take on the data jobs so many companies need filled.
What the article leaves out is who is going to tell the story of the data once it is structured. In my opinion, this is another skill researchers possess that will be in great demand.
Do you think researchers are prepared to take on big data? Does big data scare or excite you?