In this article, the author argues that the premise of “big data” lies not in the amount of data that we can generate, collect or store, but in the ability to use data to make informed decisions. He explores both the needs of data analysis projects and how to apply these types of projects to real-world circumstances. The article concludes that whatever data systems are ultimately put in place, privacy and civil liberties should be a primary concern and not simply an afterthought; the author proposes methods that can be implemented during the design of big data programs in order to curtail privacy violations.