Bigdata MINT PDF

Interdisciplinary Programme PROFESSOR
Academic Year 2017 - 2018 Karsten Donnay

karsten.donnay@uni-konstanz.de
www.karstendonnay.net
Big Data Analysis
MINT078 – Spring 2018 - 3 ECTS
Workshop, May 4 – 5 or May 18 – 19 (S1)
ASSISTANT
Course Description
This block course provides a basic introduction to big data and corresponding quantitative research methods.
The objective of the course is to familiarize students with big data analysis as a tool for addressing substantive
research questions. The course begins with a basic introduction to big data and discusses what the analysis of
these data entails, as well as associated technical, conceptual and ethical challenges. Strength and limitations
of big data research are discussed in depth using real-world examples. Students then engage in case study
exercises in which small groups of students develop and present a big data concept for a specific real-world
case. This includes practical exercises to familiarize students with the format of big data. It also provides a first
hands-on experience in handling and analyzing large, complex data structures. The block course is designed as
a primer for anyone interested in attaining a basic understanding of what big data analysis entails. There are no
prerequisite requirements for this course.
Please note that the course is offered at two different dates, May 4/5 and May 18/19, and ensure that you
are attending the session you are registered for.
Syllabus
Course Requirements
Requirement 1: Attendance in all parts of the workshop is required and students are expected to engage with
the recommended readings and/or online resources in preparation for the course. It is essential that you come
prepared and actively participate.
Requirement 2: Students will be required to complete case study exercises in small groups throughout the
course. Evaluation will be based on (i) individual performance and participation throughout these exercises; (ii) a
brief written case study report; and (iii) an oral presentation of results in the course. (ii) and (iii) are jointly
prepared by each small case study group.
Course Evaluation
Performance in the course depends both on active participation and performance in the case study exercises.
Evaluation will be based on:
1. Active participation and contribution to the course 20%

2. Performance in case study exercises 80%
Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2 | CP 136 - CH-1211 Genève 21 | +41 22 908 57 00 | graduateinstitute.ch
MAISON DE LA PAIX
Course Material
The following are recommended for anyone interested in background readings on big data written for scientific
and general audiences. Recommended scientific readings and/or online resources for individual sessions are
provided with stable links in the course schedule below.
• Matthew J. Salganik. (2017). Bit by Bit: Social Research in the Digital Age. Princeton University Press.
• Cathy O’Neil. (2016). Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens
Democracy. Penguin Books.
• Rob Kitchin. (2014). The Data Revolution: Big Data, Open Data, Data Infrastructures and Their
Consequences. SAGE Publications.
The first is book written for social scientists interested in conducting big data analysis and a useful guide for
everybody interested in data science. The second book focuses primarily on possible downsides of algorithms
and big data analysis in various domains. And the third book both provides an overview of big data, open data
and data infrastructures and associated concepts as well as a discussion of potential shortcoming and
(unintended) consequences of this paradigm shift for science and society.
Overview of the Course

The first day focuses on providing a theoretical and practical introduction to big data, its analysis and associated
challenges. During the second day, students then apply this knowledge in an in-depth case study and prepare a
case study report and oral presentation. The course provides a conceptual overview of technical aspects of big
data analysis but there will be no practical exercises and no prior knowledge of programming is assumed.
Day 1: Fundamentals of Big Data Analysis

1. Introduction – What is Big Data?
2. Handling and Processing Big Data
3. Methodological Challenges and Problems
4. Example Applications
Day 2: Big Data Analysis in Practice

5. Case Study Session 1
6. Case Study Session 2
7. Preparation of Case Study Report and Presentation
8. Case Study Presentation
- Page 2 -
Course Schedule with Recommended Readings and Online Resources
Day 1: Fundamentals of Big Data Analysis

Session 1: Introduction – What is Big Data?
Friday, May 4 / May 18, 9:00-10:30
Dutcher, Jenna. (2014). What is Big Data? UC Berkeley Data Science Blog.
Press, Gil. (2014). 12 Big Data Definitions: What’s Yours? Forbes Blog.
Manovich, Lev. (2012). Trending: The Promises and the Challenges of Big Social Data. Debates in the Digital
Humanities, edited by Matthew K. Gold. The University of Minnesota Press.
Lazer, David, Alex Pentland, Lada Adamic, Sinan Aral, Albert-László Barabási,  Devon Brewer, Nicholas
Christakis, Noshir Contractor, James Fowler, Myron Gutmann, Tony Jebara, Gary King, Michael Macy, Deb
Roy, and Marshall Van Alstyne. (2009). Computational Social Science. Science 323(5915): 721-723.
Session 2: Handling and Processing Big Data

Friday, May 4 / May 18, 10:45-12:15
Atz, Ulrich. (2013). 11 Tips on How to Handle Big Data in R. Open Data Institute Blog.
Lockwood, Glenn. (2014). Conceptual Overview of Map-Reduce and Hadoop. Blog Post.
Jacobs, Bill. (2015). Using Hadoop with R: It Depends. Blog Post.
Penchikala, Srini. (2015). Big Data Processing in Apache Spark – Part 1: Introduction. InfoQ Article.
Venkataraman, Shivaram. (2015). Announcing SparkR: R on Spark. Databricks Blog Post. (R package)
Session 3: Methodological Challenges and Problems

Friday, May 4 / May 18, 14:00-15:30
Bollier, David (2010). The Promise and Peril of Big Data. The Aspen Institute Communications and Society
Program.
Cate, Fred H. (2014). The Big Data Debate. Science 346(6211): 818-818.
Lazer, David, Ryan Kennedy, Gary King, and Alessandro Vespignani. (2014). The Parable of Google Flu: Traps
in Big Data Analysis. Science 343(6176): 1203-1205.
Lazer, David. (2015). The Rise of the Social Algorithm. Science 348(6239): 1090-1091.
Ulfelder, Jay. (2015). The Myth of Comprehensive Data. Blog Post.
Session 4: Example Applications

Friday, May 4 / May 18, 15:45-17:15
Viktoria Spaiser, Thomas Chadefaux, Karsten Donnay, Fabian Russmann, and Dirk Helbing. (2017).
Communication Power Struggles on Social Media: A Case Study of the 2011-12 Russian Protests. Journal of
Information Technology & Politics 14(2): 132-153.
Karsten Donnay. (2017). Big Data for Monitoring Political Instability. International Development Policy 8.1
(Online).
Pablo Barberá and Thomas Zeitzoff. (2017). The New Public Address System: Why Do World Leaders Adopt
Social Media? International Studies Quarterly doi: 10.1093/isq/sqx047.
- Page 3 -
Day 2: Big Data Analysis in Practice
Session 5: Case Study Session 1
Saturday, May 5 / May 19, 9:00-10:30
Selection of case study topics and formation of small working groups. Students engage with the cases, read
through background material provided in the session and work through an initial set of questions to deepen the
understanding of the case. Sample applications and data is provided to help students familiarize themselves
with the cases and available (big) data.
Session 6: Case Study Session 2

Saturday, May 5 / May 19, 10:45-12:15
Groups are given a specific task relevant to the case in question and are expected to develop a corresponding
big data concept using the knowledge gained in the course and the parameters set by the case study scenario.
A set of questions that help guide through the scenarios will be provided.
Session 7: Preparation of Case Study Report and Presentation

Saturday, May 5 / May 19, 14:00-15:30
Each group prepares a short 2 – 5 page report on their results and a 10 min oral presentation of their big data
concept. There are no further requirements on the exact format of the report or the how the results are
presented to the course (slides, flipchart etc.).
Session 8: Case Study Presentations

Friday, May 5 / May 19, 15:45-17:15
Presentation of big data concept to the group and discussion of results.
- Page 4 -

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Interdisciplinary Programme PROFESSOR

Academic Year 2017 - 2018 Karsten Donnay

1. Active participation and contribution to the course 20%

Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2 | CP 136 - CH-1211 Genève 21 | +41 22 908 57 00 | graduateinstitute.ch

Overview of the Course

Day 1: Fundamentals of Big Data Analysis

Day 2: Big Data Analysis in Practice

Day 1: Fundamentals of Big Data Analysis

Session 2: Handling and Processing Big Data

Session 3: Methodological Challenges and Problems

Session 4: Example Applications

Session 6: Case Study Session 2

Session 7: Preparation of Case Study Report and Presentation

Session 8: Case Study Presentations

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