On Friday 6 May 2016 the Consumer Data Research Centre (CDRC) hosted its first Data Partner Forum at the prestigious Said Business School, University of Oxford.
The aim of the event was to bring together a host of existing and potential data partners along with interested academics to engage with current and future consumer data research initiatives through our centre. Led by our team of Directors’ – Professors’ Mark Birkin, Paul Longley & Jonathan Reynolds – the event saw an excellent mix of attendees from both consumer related organisations and the world of academia.
This day consisted of three sessions:
Missing Data and Missing People
Novel data sources and their geographic interaction
Big data and research design
Each session entailed short presentations by a number of our researchers to discussing the ways in which they are utilising consumer related data to better understand and explain patterns of social behaviour.
Presentations included ‘missing values in consumer big data’, ‘ambient population in the context of crime’, ‘the SmartStreetSensor project’, amongst others. Each presentation was followed by a question and answer session that generated a significant amount of debate.
Mark Witherspoon, Data Services Director at Zoopla Property Group LTD (ZPG) said “I attended the forum on Friday and found each of the sessions thoroughly engaging – and as hoped, the event gave me a far deeper appreciation of the value of ‘novel’ data sources and their real contribution in supporting consumer research. Zoopla is delighted to be able to support the CRDC with continued access to our data”.
The day closed with an evening reception and poster exhibition that showcased the various research completed by our Phd students which generated significant interest from attendees.
Post the event, Phd student Ed Dargan posted a blog ‘Can bad data be good data? Reflections upon the Consumer Data Research Centre Partner Forum’, summarizing the event as a “very good day”. For blog post.
Click here for the agenda.
CDRC Director Paul Longley delivers the closing remarks at the forum
