Member Article

Manchester researchers reveal untapped data pool

University of Manchester experts have uncovered “massive new opportunities” for harvesting data created as a by-product from internet users, Twitter and Facebook.

Research has shown that vast amounts of information could be gathered from digital and administrative data, however much of this information is owned by commercial companies or public bodies.

The study was carried out by Dr Mark Elliot and Dr Kingsley Purdam at the University, who completed a series of interviews and a survey with top academics to highlight new types of data.

Dr Elliot said: “These new forms of data are a huge opportunity for understanding more about the big questions that face us all, such as health inequalities, discrimination and environmental change.

“Twitter, when linked to health record data for example, could help us to understand people’s attitudes, behaviour and well being.

“What is so exciting is this new information can be made available in real time as it is created.

“In fact, there’s so much going on out there, it’s fair to say the boundary between researcher and researched is becoming blurred: who’s researching whom?

“However, our evidence suggests there is a risk that social research will be less reliable if commercial companies and organisations restrict access to these rich data sources.

“This is because to carry out robust research, we need to validate, replicate and peer review research effectively. At the moment the data world can seem a bit like the wild west.”

Research also revealed potential obstacles to privacy, with concerns over links and data sharing between commercial companies and government organisations.

While Dr Elliot and Dr Purdam say the public are often unaware of the data they create by using social media, they added that academics need to make the case for data regulation, as well as the reliability and validity of analyses and claims made of them.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .