Big Data from Below. Researching Data Assemblages

Abstract

This paper aims to study the data assemblage of three centres of calculation which produce and use big data for social research. By unfolding how big data are produced we want to compare and contrast different aspects of data construction, management and exploitation. The results are drawn from focus groups and in-depth interviews of data experts. Respondents were interviewed about the activities of setting objectives, design decisions and choices with respect to expert languages, influences, constraints, debates with actors internal and external to data assemblage. The analysis presented in the paper focuses on the methodological activities run in the assemblage, and on subjectivities and communities involved in big data.