Modeling in Big Data Environments

Abstract

Human-Centered Big Data Research (HCBDR) is an area of work that focuses on the methodologies and research areas focused on understanding how humans interact with “big data”. In the context of this paper, we refer to “big data” in a holistic sense, including most (if not all) the dimensions defining the term, such as complexity, variety, velocity, veracity, etc. Simply put, big data requires us as researchers of to question and reconsider existing approaches, with the opportunity to illuminate new kinds of insights that were traditionally out of reach to humans. The purpose of this article is to summarize the discussions and ideas about the role of models in HCBDR at a recent workshop. Models, within the context of this paper, include both computational and conceptual mental models. As such, the discussions summarized in this article seek to understand the connection between these two categories of models.