Section outline

  • Course Overview

    This course teaches the essentials of big data, from understanding its principles to accessing and using large datasets. You'll learn to explore research questions with big data, develop data exploration skills, and handle big data effectively. By the end, you'll be equipped to analyze both quantitative and qualitative big data confidently. 

    Learning Outcomes

    This course will help you to:

    1. Identify ethical implications of big data use  
    2. Find, assess, and explore the variety of big datasets available to researchers  
    3. Develop your data exploration skills  
    4. Incorporate considerations of big data when crafting your research questions  
    5. Develop an approach for analyzing big data  
    6. Analyze big quantitative and big qualitative data  

    • Course Instructor: Brian Alleyne

      • Brian Alleyne

        Brian Alleyne is a sociologist interested in digital cultures, speculative fiction, and narrative methods. He gained a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge in 1999 and began teaching sociology at Goldsmiths University of London in that same year. He left  Goldsmiths in 2024 to write full time. The British Sociological Association awarded his first book, Radicals Against Race (Berg 2002), the Philip Abrams Memorial Prize for the best new single-authored work of sociology published in 2002.  He published Narrative Networks: Storied Approaches in a Digital Age (Sage 2015), and Geek and Hacker Stories (Palgrave Pivot 2018). He is currently working on narratives of digital tech in the Atlantic Global South, culture wars, and a second book on the cultural activism of the New Beacon circle.

        View Bio for Brian Alleyne

      • Pre-Course Self Assessment

        Before you dive into this course, spend a few moments reflecting on your familiarity with the topic and your current level of skills confidence. 

        You will then re-visit the same questions in our Post-Course Self Assessment and reflect on how the course has helped you develop in confidence and grow your skills. 

        • Module One: What Is Big Data?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Master the principles and concepts of big data and big datasets  
          2. Recognize how big data is accessed  
          3. Identify ethical implications of big data use  

        • Module Two: Big Datasets: Why Use Them?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Assess how data can inform your research  
          2. Differentiate between big data and big datasets  
          3. Access big data through working with a big dataset  
          4. Find, assess, and explore the variety of big datasets available to researchers  

        • Module Three: Big Data: How Do I Use It?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Identify how different kinds of research questions can be explored with big data  
          2. Develop your data exploration skills    
          3. Incorporate considerations of big data when crafting your research questions  

        • Module Four: How Do I Handle Big Data?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Recognize connections between social research methodology and big data  
          2. Develop an approach for analyzing big data   
          3. Explore several big datasets, without needing to know specific analytical techniques  
          4. Analyze big quantitative and big qualitative data  

        • Glossary of Key Terms

          In addition to the glossary you’ll find woven throughout the course, you can find the full glossary collated in one place here.

        • Post-Course Self Assessment

          Now you’ve completed the course, spend a few moments reflecting on where your familiarity with the topics and your confidence skills levels are at now. 

          Has the course helped you develop new skills and grow your confidence?

          You'll need to complete the Post-Course Self Assessment in order to download your certificate. If you didn't do the Pre-Course Self Assessment before starting the course, please go to the top of the page and reflect on your familiarity with the topic and your level of skills confidence before you started the course.

          • Completion: Certificate

            Completing all modules (plus the pre and post-course assessments) will unlock the course certificate, which you can then download here. Your course certificate will only be made available once you have completed all these sections.

            If you have difficulty accessing your certificate, please contact the Sage support team at: onlinesupport@sagepub.co.uk. You can also check out this FAQ page which may be helpful.

            • Give Feedback About This Course

              Did you enjoy the course? Please take two minutes to share your feedback. We use learner feedback in future course updates and developments to provide an excellent learning experience.

            • Accessibility

              We have high standards of accessibility on Sage Campus and as of May/June 2024 all activities within this course are keyboard and screen reader compatible. For more details on accessibility standards, please see the Sage Campus Accessibility Guide.

              For those using assistive technology, please note that within this course:

              • Tab components: JAWS and NVDA behave slightly differently. For NVDA to keep reading, it is best to exit focus mode and go back to browse mode. 
              • Matching: JAWS does not read out question label on dropdown focus.