Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Big Data Theory

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Big Data

Definition/Introduction

Big Data Theory is a set of generalized principles that explain the foundations, knowledge, and methods used in the practice of data-driven science.

Part I: Theory of Big Data in General

In general a theory is an explanatory mechanism. A theory is a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something, especially one based on general principles independent of the thing to be explained. Big Data Theory explains big data (data-driven science), what it is and its foundations, approaches, methods, tools, practices, and results. A theory explains something in a generalized way. A theory attempts to capture the core mechanism of a situation, behavior, or phenomenon.

A theory is a class of knowledge. Different classes of knowledge have different proof standards. The overall landscape of knowledge includes observation, conjecture, hypothesis, prediction, theory, law, and proof. Consider Newton’s laws, for example, and the theory of gravity; laws have a...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Further Readings

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. New School University, New York, USA

    Melanie Swan

Authors
  1. Melanie Swan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Melanie Swan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Policy, Government and International Affairs, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA

    Laurie A. Schintler

  2. School of Policy, Government and International Affairs, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA

    Connie L. McNeely

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Swan, M. (2018). Big Data Theory. In: Schintler, L., McNeely, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Big Data. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32001-4_508-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32001-4_508-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-32001-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-32001-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Business and ManagementReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation