The role of data science and data analytics for innovation: a literature review

Abstract

ABSTRACT Data science and data analytics (DS/DA) have been quickly adopted by decision-makers in organisations. Their relation to specific functions within organisations, however, remain unclear. Therefore, this study focuses on their relationship to innovation and aim to clarify the role of DS/DA relative to innovation and decision-making. To this end, we conducted a literature review. Based on a systematic query in the Web of Science, we identified 172 relevant articles, which address DS/DA and innovation. Our findings suggest a prevalence of different understandings of DS/DA relative to innovation and decision-making. Specifically, we identified three distinct categories of articles: (1) “Innovation as a result of DS/DA”, (2) “DS/DA as a result of innovation”, (3) “Diffusion of DS/DA technology”, and sorted the remaining in a fourth category “Miscellaneous”. Our study contributes to the understanding of DS/DA and its ambiguous relationship to innovation and decision-making. We outline implications for academics, practitioners, and educators.