This book reveals the myriad aspects of Big Data collection and analysis, by defining and clarifying the meaning of Big Data and its unique characteristics in a non-technical and easy-to-follow way. Moreover, it discusses critical issues and problems related to the Big Data revolution and their implications for both Statistics as a discipline and for our everyday lives. The author identifies various problems and limitations in the quantitative analysis of Big Data, with regard to e.g. its volume, velocity and variety, as well as its reliability and veridicity. Dedicated chapters focus on the epistemological aspects of data-based knowledge and ethical aspects of the use of Big Data, while also addressing paradigmatic cases such as Cambridge Analytica and the use of data from social networks to influence election outcomes.

Giuseppe Arbia is a Professor of Economic Statistics at the Faculty of Economics, Catholic University of Rome (Italy). His research focuses on spatial statistics and spatial econometrics and on these topics he has published four books and more than 200 articles in leading journals. He has been chairman of the Spatial Econometrics Association since 2006 and Director of the Spatial Econometrics Advanced Institute since 2008. He is also a member of several international scientific societies. From 2020 he is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Spatial Econometrics, published by Springer-Verlag.