Big Data in Criminology

• In Event: Machine Learning and Causal Inference

Abstract

The big data era has reached social science disciplines like economics, public health, and political science and it is beginning to make its way into criminology. Big data analysis affords an opportunity to use real time information to learn more about the human experience and behavior, as well as offering opportunities for shedding light on macro-level questions. But some areas of social science remain wary about boarding the big data train by questioning what big data can teach us. We propose that, at least in criminology, there is a need for a source of real time big data-data that might be able to offer criminologists a glimpse into aspects of the human experience that have yet to be analyzable. With the right tools we can use sources of new information to enrich criminological research in both the near- and long-term. This presentation will explore some of the ways in which novel big data can be used to better understand classic criminological questions.

Authors

• Batya Rubenstein, University of Cincinnati

• J.C. Barnes, University of Cincinnati