The Fading Gloss of Data Science: Towards an Agenda that Faces the Challenges of Big Data for Development and Humanitarian Action.

Abstract

Different UN and international agencies are busy trying to leverage big data to unlock its value for evidence-based decision-making in development and humanitarian action. But many vulnerable people are invisible to the data infrastructure, while just integrating their data without understanding the consequences can make them even more vulnerable. This article unpacks the challenges presented by data science for development and humanitarianism.