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Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, 2016, 3(2):106-108
ISSN: 2394-2630
Research Article CODEN(USA): JSERBR
Big Data: An Introduction for Engineers
Matthew N. O. Sadiku, Mahamadou Tembely, Sarhan M. Musa

1
Roy G. Perry College of Engineering Prairie View A&M University
Abstract Big data refers to massive amount of data that are so large that traditional processing tools cannot
cope. It is produced by emails, online transactions, medical records, etc. It is a high-volume, high-velocity, and
high-variety information that require special information processing tools. This paper presents a brief
introduction on big data for engineers.
Keywords
Introduction
There is data everywhere. Each day, large amounts of data are being generated. Organizations and companies
now have very large data sets stored in their files, databases, and data warehouses. Advancement in sciences and
technologies has collectively created a massive amount of structured and unstructured data [1]. Big data is
typically unstructured (such as text, audio, video) or semi-structured (such as emails, tweets, weblogs). The
ability to collect and analyze huge amounts of data is a growing problem within the engineering community.
The birth of the concept of big data is usually associated with a META Group report by Doug Laney [2].
Definition of Big Data

Big data applies to data sets of extreme size (e.g. exabytes, zettabytes) which are beyond the capability of the
commonly used software tools. It involves situation where very large data sets are big in volume, velocity,
veracity, and variability [3]. The data is too big, too fast, or does not fit the regular database architecture. It may
require different strategies and tools for profiling, measurement, assessment, and processing.
The process of examining big data is often referred to Big Data Analytics. It is an emerging field since massive
computing capabilities have been made available by e-infrastructures [4]. Analytics include statistical models
and other methods that are aimed at creating empirical predictions. Data-driven organizations use analytics to
guide decisions at all levels.
Figure 1: The volume, velocity, and variety [5].
Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research
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Sadiku MNO et al Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, 2016, 3(2):106-108
Big data is growing rapidly and expanding in all science and engineering, including physical, biological, and
medical services. Different companies use different means to maintain their big data. Big data is characterized
by 3 V (volume, velocity, and variety). Volume captures the large amount of data that is being created. Systems
nowadays are inundated with terabytes or petabytes of information. Organizations and companies are generating
data at an exponential rate. Velocity refers to the speed of data processing or how quick the data is generated and
processed. Variety refers to the diversity of data models and sources and lack of uniform structure in the data.
Data is generated in different domains, from social media to transportation, from healthcare to wireless
communication networks. Structured and unstructured data are generated in various types [5-6]. The 3V model
has been extended to a 5V model, where the other 2Vs represent Value and Veracity [7].
Data Quality and Security

Quality is an important issue for all data. For any big data project to succeed, it must depend on high quality
data. Quality issues include accuracy, completeness, consistency, precision, relevance, and timeliness. Big data
quality varies from one type of big data to another. Data are a neutral measure of reality, but people corrupt data
and use them to achieve their own ends.
The rise of big data raises fundamental challenges in privacy, security, and data ownership. Concerns are being
expressed over the impact that collecting, storing, and processing large amount of data could have on security.
Security of big data is a primary concern for many applications. From security point of view, big data may
seriously weaken confidentiality. Security is a concern because of the variety and heterogeneity of big data;
there is access to data from multiple and diverse domains. Making effective use of big data requires that access
only from domain it is authorized to access. For instance, in case of smart meters, data must be protected to
avoid leaking private information about consumers. Also, in outsourcing data to the cloud, the owner may lose
control and privacy of the data
Application Domains
Several domains can benefit from the big data phenomena: medicine, education, manufacturing,
communication, government, and industry. Big data is becoming a new technology focus in science, healthcare,
business, and industry.
Science has been dealing with large volume of data in research experiments. Scientific research includes
collection of data which aim to verify some scientific hypothesis. For example, a huge number of chemical
structures are stored in public and private databased. Consequently, a big data problem in chemistry has
appeared [8].
Health care applications of big data are helpful for improving clinical decision-making and care provision. Big
data is driving the development in biomedical and healthcare informatics because big data has unlimited
potential for storing, processing, and analyzing medical data. For example, big data can be leveraged to detect
fraud, abuse, and errors in health insurance claims.
Business is the major source of big data. Service supply chain such as finance, healthcare, tourism, and
telecommunications drive big data. In business, big data may be considered as cost-effective techniques for
solving business problems whose resource requirements exceed the capabilities of traditional computing
environment. Although companies may share third party facilities, such as clouds, they do not share data but
ensure that their data is protected. Applying big data in business can enhance efficiency and competitiveness in
many aspects such as marketing, supply chain, and e-commerce.
In industry, big data may involve controlling technological processes and facilities.
Today’s organizations are handling increasing amounts and complexities of data. Modern computer-aided
manufacturing produces huge amount of data which may need to be stored to allow effective quality control.
In addition, social networking and government systems also contain large amount of data. Big data applications
are gaining momentum as more companies seek to monetize the data and move their business forward. Several
techniques have been proposed for analyzing big data. These include the HACE theorem, cloud computing,
Hadoop, and MapReduce [9].
Conclusions
Big data refers to large data that is generated in complex systems with the characteristics of three Vs: volume,
velocity, and variety. It is also the technologies that make processing and analyzing it possible. It has attracted a
growing attention from industry and academia. It has emerged as a full-fledged field. Big data may be regarded
as a phenomenon since we can observe its effects like growing volume and variety. It has been regarded as the
“future petroleum” and the “gold mine” to be developed [10]. It is a pretty new research area. It should not be
ignored by organizations and engineers since it is here to stay. It will become intensive and diversified in the
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years to come. Scholars can stay up to date on issues related to big data by consulting Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Transactions on Big Data [e.g. 11].
References
1. Jukić, N., Sharma, A., Nestorov, S., & Jukić, B. (2015). Augmenting Data Warehouses with Big Data.
Information Systems Management, 32(3), 200-209.
2. WAZIRI, V. O., ALHASSAN, J. K., Morufu, O., & Ismaila, I. Big Data Analytics and the Epitome of
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About the authors

Matthew N.O. Sadiku ( [email protected]) is a professor at Prairie View A&M University, Texas. He is the
author of several books and papers. He is a fellow of IEEE.
Mahamadou Tembely ( [email protected]) is a Ph.D student at Prairie View A&M University,
Texas. He received the 2014 Outstanding MS Graduated Student award for the department of electrical and
computer engineering. He is the author of several papers.
Sarhan M. Musa ([email protected]) is an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Technology
at Prairie View A&M University, Texas. He has been the director of Prairie View Networking Academy, Texas,
since 2004. He is an LTD Spring and Boeing Welliver Fellow.
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Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, 2016, 3(2):106-108

Big Data: An Introduction for Engineers

Matthew N. O. Sadiku, Mahamadou Tembely, Sarhan M. Musa

Definition of Big Data

Figure 1: The volume, velocity, and variety [5].

Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research

Data Quality and Security

Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research

About the authors

Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research

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