The amount of data accessible to researchers and decisions-makers has increased, and continues to increase, in ways that were scarcely imaginable a generation ago. Most of this growth is related to digital computing and communications, which contributes in at least three ways: * it allows much more data to be collected than was possible with “pencil and paper” recording, either by assisting the observer (data entry direct to computer) or by replacing the need for a human observer (interviewer, etc) at all (eg telemetry; web-based questionnaires); * it facilitates the distribution of data; * digital communications themselves generate new data, about linkages, communications, transactions, etc. What does this increasing supply of data mean for policy research and decision-making? The event will debate how the data revolution is affecting and will affect these activities. The event will be structured around 3 parts: 1. How the supply of data is changing – including new expectations about sharing data, and new technology for doing so – to include possibilities relating to: social media data, remote sensing (the nature of data about people ie tracking of people via mobile devices and auto-sensing), sharing of official data, unstructured data, data visualization. 2. Analysis/applications using new sources of data, new ways of combining data, etc Applications of data collation, combination and processing demonstrated in a break-out session, with each contributor doing a short elevator pitch and demonstration, combined with lunch Demonstrators include: o University of Cambridge Computing Laboratory o County Council research group 3. Implications for policy and policy-making – “possibly of a less than perfect world” Speakers include the Cambridgeshire County Council. If you would like to book onto this event please go to www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/events Venue - Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA Time - 11am - 3pm