Melecia Lee’s submission for Brooks assignment part 3

Data Analysis derived from both mechanical and traditional methods help to make better decisions.  An analysis based solely on one of these methods leads to skewed results in the direction of the purpose of the method.  In the traditional method, the emotional or humane factors are captured whereas in the automated method that uses computers and algorithms give a measurement report omitting the emotional or social variables.

In the first article entitled “The Philosophy of Data” Brooks indicates statistical analysis reveals new patterns that humans fail to notice and that it illuminates ideals that humans hold dear which negatively impacts analysis because these ideals do not reflect reality.  Brooks’ basketball example of hot and cold streaks reveals how people’s intuition is wrong when gathering data.  Brooks points out that data gathered from ‘Gilovich, Tversky and Vallone’ shows “that a player who has made six consecutive foul shots has the same chance of making his seventh as if he had missed the previous six” Brooks (1).  In Brooks’ second article entitled “What Data Can’t Do” he gives an example of a Chief Executive of a Bank that had to make a decision about remaining in Italy which had a weak economy at that time.  Brooks’ example shows decisions based on one method of analysis, in this case mechanical analysis, was not enough for the Banking Executive.  Instead the Executive decided to remain in the weak economy “and ride out any potential crisis, even with short-term costs” Brooks(1) because of the emotional and trust connection the Bank had gained from the people of Italy.  Brooks went further to conclude that the analysis is “good at some things and not at others” hence decisions made solely on one method of analysis will be done based on misguided reports because one method only yields to skewed data in the direction of that method.

Applying both the modern computational way of analyzing data along with the traditional methods of human interaction gives a much more fruitful result.  Although the computational analysis leads to promising results based on the quick analysis of large datasets, there is still more work to be done to capture data in better manner.  Stewart et al, research shows the pattern recognition algorithm they used yield results that “investigators can now rely upon alternative sources and techniques to corroborate information about public health events.” Stewart (8).  However, Stewart acknowledges that although the Statistical Pattern Recognition algorithm was good for this purpose it raises more questions about the quality of the core indicator or variables used to determine the pattern.  Stewart et al plans to assess “the quality of an indicator based on such factors requires a more robust qualitative evaluation with input from domain experts” Stewart (8).  In another research about analyzing data over the internet it shows that “non-traditional variations are needed to cope with the unique nature of the internet and its content” Lewis (35) while “algorithmic analysis of content remain limited in their capacity to understand latent meanings or the subtleties of human language” Lewis (35).  Here the content analysis is questioned when large datasets are mechanically analyzed because software has its limitations.  Software is not able to interpret every human instinct especially the emotional behavior as Lewis et al research quoted ‘‘The chief disadvantage is that the computer is simply unable to understand human language in all its richness, complexity, and subtlety” (Lewis (38).

Although progress is made from analyzing data from large datasets the analysis also shows that the variables used for such an analysis can change rapidly and will impact the analysis.  Even the research by Stewart et al agrees that future work needs to be done to ensure the report can offer a better analysis since the qualitative assessment was based on certain variables and in some cases those variables would have had to already been in existence for comparison.  Brooks’ second article also shows that analysis of big data is good and can help with decisions but making decisions in the direction of the analysis will be skewed decisions since such an automated analysis does not cater for the values human have for another.  Indeed Lewis research supports hat computers has its limitations and analysis based solely on this will be skewed because of these limitations.  Decisions based on analysis done by both automated and traditional methods give a clearer picture to the decision maker.

Works Cited 

Brooks, David. “The Philosophy of Data”. New York Times 4 Feb. 2013: A23. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/opinion/brooks-the-philosophy-of-data.html>

Brooks, David. “What Data Can’t Do”. New York Times 18 Feb. 2013: A23. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. < http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/opinion/brooks-what-data-cant-do.html >

Lewis, Zamith and Hermida. “Content Analysis and Big Data”.  Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media Mar. 2013: p34-p52. Web. 15 Mar 2013.

Stewart, Fisichella, Denecke. “Detecting Public Health Indicators from the Web for Epidemic Intelligence”. 2010. Web. 15 Mar 2013. <http://www.l3s.de/web/upload/documents/1/paper44_Stewart.pdf>

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One Response to Melecia Lee’s submission for Brooks assignment part 3

  1. Ciabo says:

    good point explaining both sides of the coin on paragraph one, it explains well both of the methods of data analysis

    there are some good examples on paragraph 2 with trusted cites to back everything in it, the points covered in it are very informative and it certainly explains more the introduction given in paragraph one

    I think that on parragraph 3 there were to many citations used, just a comment on my opinion,i think it would be better if some of those quotes qere your own ideas or your way of expressing, even paraphasing looks a little better than the citation used

    in the beginning of paragraph 4, on the sentence “Although progress is made from analyzing data from large datasets the analysis also shows that the variables used for such an analysis can change rapidly and will impact the analysis.” the world analyze is too repetitive for one sentence, maybe it would be better if you find a word to replace or another way of writing the sentence

    I think the assigntment would be perfect with your conclusion on the topic, your own words to finish a well done paper

    overall it’s pretty good, very interesting topics and a nice stated thesis on both sides of the data analysis

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