摘要:Big Data refers to data that are so large and complex, making it difficult or impossible to manage with traditional computing/software and hardware (Frost 2015; Bellazzi 2014). The volume of electronic data worldwide, just in the healthcare field, is overwhelming with an estimate of nearly 1 billion terabytes of data, and continuing to exponentially grow to zetabytes of data (Cottle, Hoover, Kanwal, Kohn, Strome & Treister, 2013). Not only is the volume of Big Data staggering, but the variety and veracity of the various forms and types of data (structured and unstructured) make it a critical area for research, training and education (Cottle et al., 2013).