Big Data

Big data is a loose concept referring to relatively large collections of data as well as the research that builds on them. Whereas in other domains big data is defined in terms of digital storage as data taking up several terabytes, within lifespan human development, it is sometimes used for data sets that are simply considerably larger than those typically used and require data analysis tools that are unusual for the relevant subfield. This entry introduces some examples of big data within lifespan human development research, then links big data to other relevant and recent developments; it ends with a few key controversies.