Following the launch of the Human Face of Big Data project, Tableau Software has provided us with a big data healthcare-focused visualization, using global Twitter traffic based on one topic covered in the Human Face of Big Data project.
The way individuals discuss illnesses globally can be measured faster and more easily than aggregating actual medical records. In fact, Google has a page dedicated to explaining how search terms can be used to identify flu outbreaks.
This visualization puts a positive spin on the dynamic, identifying what people are saying about a possible end to malaria in different areas of the world.
smkinoshita,
User Rank: Exabyte Executive 11/29/2012 | 1:57:32 AM
Re: Big but Unknown Data @Saul Sherry: Wouldn't be the first time Twitter's been used for big, important projects (like revolutions). Twitter's simple and easy to implement but is easily searchable. I'm not surprised some organizations are able to use it for greater-good data collection.
Speaking of which, I should add that I've heard that Twitter is pretty easy to spoof, so while it works well for greater good campaigns, more care needs to be put into business-oriented projects.
Saul Sherry,
User Rank: Blogger 11/27/2012 | 4:48:15 PM
Re: Big but Unknown Data It's amazing to think something so banal as twitter can produce such information. It won't be soon, but this free, low end technology will be what makes it through first to the developing world... would dropping the infrastructure for an accessible social network get us access to that data?
Anna Young,
User Rank: Exabyte Executive 11/27/2012 | 4:20:16 PM
Re: big data and malaria One of the advantages of social media is -- combined with mobile communication -- its deep penetration into countries and regions that lack the infrastructural support to facilitate the generation of data. Social media, which is now ubiquitous in Asia, South America and Africa, can facilitate the generation of data on malaria in areas that were once inaccessible to marketers and researchers.
Anna Young,
User Rank: Exabyte Executive 11/27/2012 | 4:16:43 PM
Big but Unknown Data How do you analyze an unknown? I grew up in a country with a large malaria problem and part of the problem was the fact that it was difficult to map what, where, when and eventual impact on the individual and society at large.
Where in the West we have discussions about how we should evaluate Big Data, in developing countries the real issue is overcoming the challenges to generating the data. The data, whether Big or Small, is unknown even though its out there.
legalcio,
User Rank: Exabyte Executive 11/23/2012 | 9:20:23 PM
Re: big data and malaria We're a visual society. The translation of big data into visual big data is a marketer's dream. And there is the danger. Visualization is the art of persuasion. In this case, fortunately, it also facilitates greater education.
kiran,
User Rank: Megabyte Messenger 11/23/2012 | 9:33:19 AM
Re: big data and malaria This is a great approach towards global disease tracking. It would be very interesting to see Social networking coming into play. Like Saul said, bringing in twitter feeds would add a whole new dimension to the concept.
Saul Sherry,
User Rank: Blogger 11/23/2012 | 6:08:44 AM
Re: big data and malaria @SharCo - agreed, these visualizations allow us to absorb data much more efficiently. Imagine something like this combined with an overlay of where malaria is reported to be happening, which governments are spending on cures... and also occuring over a timeline, highlighting key events and their impact on spending and twitter chatter - you'd get a real picture of how people responded, which could lay the foundation for a new awareness program, or signification that it is time to divert funds towards another awareness program.
SharCo,
User Rank: Bit Player 11/22/2012 | 1:15:28 PM
Re: big data and malaria On a side note, regarding what you said about some things taking root in the mind of the public because they're the ones that are most talked about. It's actual data shown through visual representations like these that put some perspective into those perceptions and assumptions.
SharCo,
User Rank: Bit Player 11/22/2012 | 1:14:15 PM
Re: big data and malaria Ariella, Good point. It would be interesting if they did extend their studies to the cures and also present implications from what they've been able to gather so far. It only makes sense to collate data that many people are interested in, which are usually the things that affect the most number of people.
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