Tell data from meta: Tracing the origins of big data, bibliometrics, and the OPAC
Krajewski M (2017)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2017
Journal
Book Volume: 32
Pages Range: 224-240
Journal Issue: 1
DOI: 10.1086/694228
Abstract
This essay discusses “Big Data” as a historical phenomenon with a long trajectory, dating back to the ancient library of Alexandria and its methods to counter information overload. The essay looks at different situations in which the proliferation of data posed problems and focuses on the development of systems and techniques— for example, bibliometrics—to cope with this abundance. After a brief inquiry into the origins of Big Data as a phenomenon, I will explore a distinction that is necessary to grasp the concept of Big Data, and which proves imperative in order to cope with the consequences of information overload. The distinction between data and metadata will be discussed and developed by dint of the history of the electronic library catalog called OPAC, which fuses two strands of Big Data: quantification and automatization.
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Switzerland (CH)How to cite
APA:
Krajewski, M. (2017). Tell data from meta: Tracing the origins of big data, bibliometrics, and the OPAC. Osiris, 32(1), 224-240. https://doi.org/10.1086/694228
MLA:
Krajewski, Markus. "Tell data from meta: Tracing the origins of big data, bibliometrics, and the OPAC." Osiris 32.1 (2017): 224-240.
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