关键词: 大数据, 统计学, 统计分析方法, 数据科学

Abstract: This paper reconstructs the understanding of big data, including how “big” the data are, what “data” can mean and whether big data are good data. It summarizes systematically the history of and the relationship between the changing conception of data and the developing method of statistical analysis. It also discusses the new development of statistics as a discipline: big data analysis. It considers big data analysis as the new mission that data science has given to statistics, suggests the challenges that big data analysis faces and its breakthrough points, and proposes the common ground for researchers engaged in big data analysis.

Key words: Big data, Statistics, Methodology of statistical analysis, data science