Crowdsourcing Firm to Open 'Big' Study Data

Crowdscoured media specialist Against All Odds Productions is to release data from a new global study, the 'Human Face of Big Data', for general consumption. Currently underway, the project aims to combine passive and contributed data from 'millions' of individuals worldwide.

Participants are invited to download an app which tracks their movements and habits over the course of seven days, ending October 2. Passive data will be gathered from phones - such as how far a user has travelled and what time of day they are most active - while participants will also be asked questions about themselves and their family, their sleep patterns and dreams, and their dating habits. Answers will be analysed by age, gender and location.

In addition, submitted photos, daily travel maps, and a quest to 'find your data doppelganger' will be included in the study. App activities might include requests to share 'lucky rituals' - ie, things participants do before a sports event or company pitch - and filters can be used to compare these rituals with others round the world.

At the end of the week, the data will be collated and processed, with conclusions drawn and the findings published online and made available to researchers and data scientists.

Against All Odds, instigator of the project, specializes in the design and execution of global projects combining storytelling with technology. Co-founder Rick Smolan said in an interview with ZDNet: 'I really think that big data is going to change everything about every way that we behave. It provides an opportunity for organizations to use datasets to find meaning, helping them optimize services, experience and revenue.'

In November, 'Data Detectives' youth-oriented events will be held to encourage students to use the project data to compare their opinions, thoughts, concerns and beliefs. Later that month, a book of photographs, essays, and infographics will be published, to reflect the project's purpose.

Web site: www.thehumanfaceofbigdata.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.