Five things you need to know: Big data and humanitarianism
Consider this: There was more data produced in 2011 than in all the rest of human history combined. Every time we make a phone call, buy something or use social media, we are creating new data. This huge amount of information can, if analysed correctly, be used to answer any number of questions. This massive volume of data created and stored by governments, the private sector (for example telecoms or internet providers) and individuals is known as Big Data.