The Data Revolution

In The Data Revolution, Rob Kitchin offers a critical examination of the evolving data landscape by carefully distinguishing between big data, open data, and the infrastructures that support them. The book navigates between historical context and future prospects, unraveling the transformation of data from a tightly guarded commodity into a widely accessible resource. Kitchin’s work deconstructs the widespread hype surrounding the “data revolution” by engaging directly with debates spanning the humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences. His analysis invites readers to appreciate how this shift is reshaping knowledge production, business practices, and governance, while also raising important questions about surveillance, privacy, and ethics. Designed to be accessible yet thought-provoking, The Data Revolution provides a comprehensive introduction to conceptualizing data, analyzing its technological constraints, and understanding the broader social and political impacts of its pervasive use. Published by SAGE Publications in 2014, this paperback edition of 240 pages is an essential resource for anyone interested in the profound changes enacted by the modern data era.