ABIDA (Assessing Big Data) is an interdisciplinary research cluster funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) focusing on social, legal, political, ethical and economic research with regard to Big Data. The project is managed by the ITM and the Institute for Technology Assessment and System Analysis in Karlsruhe (ITAS). Furthermore, the Humboldt University of Berlin, the Technical University Dortmund, the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich as well as the University of Hannover are project partners.
The project aims at monitoring and assessing current developments regarding Big Data, taking into account public opinion and bringing together expert knowledge. Several research groups will work on interdisciplinary in-depth studies, which will be assessed in expert workshops and a national symposium. Moreover, three citizens’ conferences and a representative opinion survey are scheduled in order to ensure an extensive involvement of the public. On this basis all relevant issues will be analyzed and evaluated to provide options for political decisions, further research and economic approaches as well as to point out possible alternatives.
Initiated in March 2015, the project is scheduled for a period of 48 months.