What if the scientific method were no longer necessary? A bold statement, but one that Wired’s Chris Anderson posits in his 2008 article, extolling the virtues of “Big Data.” Looping back to Anderson’s original premise on the ascendency of Big Data, it’s becoming clear that these tools are a valuable addition to existing research methodologies, particularly where large amounts of information are in play, but not a replacement for them. Superseding the human element seems to equate rational analysis with nuanced thinking and quantifiable results with understanding – two aspects that we’ll continue to rely on academics, scientists and researchers to interpret for us.
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