Poroi May 2021 Open Access

The Rhetoric of Big Data: Collecting, Interpreting, and Representing in the Age of Datafication

Brad Mehlenbacher University of Waterloo ; Ashley Rose Mehlenbacher University of Waterloo

Abstract

Rhetorical studies of science, technology, and medicine (RSTM) have provided critical understanding of how argument and argument norms within a field shape what we mean by “data.” Work has also examined how questions that shape data collection are asked, how data is interpreted, and even how data is shared. Understood as a form of argument, data reveals important insights into rhetorical situations, the motives of rhetorical actors, and the broader appeals that shape everything from the kinds of technologies built, to their inclusion in our daily lives, to the infrastructures of cities, the medical practices and policies concerning public health, etc. Big data merits continued attention from RSTM scholars as our understanding of its pervasive use and its ethos grows, but its arguments remain elusive (Salvo, 2012). To unpack the elusivity of big data, we explore one particularly illustrative case of big data and political, democratic influence: the Cambridge Analytica scandal. To understand the case, we turn to social studies of data to explore the range of ethical issues raised by big data, and to examine the rhetorical strategies that entail big data.

Journal
Poroi
Published
2021-05-01
DOI
10.13008/2151-2957.1311
CompPile
Open Access
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Citation context

Cited by in this index (2)

  1. Swarts (2025)
    The Construction of Data Usability
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Burnett et al. (2025)
    A Conceptual Approach to Research Poster Design: Process, Audience, and Organization
    Technical Communication Quarterly

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