ABSTRACT
Big Data includes both the collection and analysis of very large data sets. Until the first decade of the 21st century, the size of these data sets placed them beyond the ability of typical computer technology in businesses and industry. Nor were the database software tools to capture, store, manage, analyze and help in interpreting their relevance. This chapter describes the promises and pitfalls facing political science researchers and policy analysts seeking to garner usable information from the datasets.
