  Big data is one of the most discussed, and possibly least understood, terms
in use in business today. Big data is said to offer not only unprecedented
levels of business intelligence concerning the habits of consumers and rivals,
but also to herald a revolution in the way in which business are organized and
run. However, big data is not as straightforward as it might seem, particularly
when it comes to the so-called dark data from social media. It is not simply
the quantity of data that has changed, it is also the speed and the variety of
formats with which it is delivered. This article sets out to look at big data
and debunk some of the myths that surround it. It focuses on the role of data
from social media in particular and highlights two common myths about big data.
The first is that because a data set contains billions of items, traditional
methodological issues no longer matter. The second is the belief that big data
is both a complete and unbiased source of data upon which to base decisions.
