“What the Papers Says” Critique

Paper Title: Creating Strategic Business Value from Big Data Analytics: A Research Framework

Authors: Varun Grover, Roger H.L. Chiang, Ting-Peng Liang, and Dongsong Zhang

Journal Title: Journal of Management Information Systems

Publication year: 2018

Summary of the Content of Paper:

The paper called ‘Creating Strategic Business Value from Big Data Analytics: A Research Framework’ sets out to examine the ways in which organizations can create business value strategically through the adoption and implementation of Big Data Analytics (BDA). It proposes a view on the way BDA may be useful for competitive advantage with an emphasis on customer value creation, operational efficiency, and innovation. The paper examines BDA as a solution and highlights its limitations and the lags which organizations have in trying to embrace BDA to their business and the best practices to overcome these challenges.

A: Quality of the Research

Item	My Comments
Quality of the research	The research quality as it comes out seems to be good, with clearly articulated outlines and the organization of arguments being logical. The only thing is that certain sections of each of the analysis may be enhanced, for instance, why this paper has been performed. The paper appears to be making use of the secondary data and a literature review of the work, and at the end it still has ground regarding primary data or efficacy, which compromises its conclusions.
1. Is the research question or objective clearly stated?	Yes, the research question and objectives are clear in the discourse. The paper’s research aims at understanding how the value for the organizations can be derived through the use of Big Data Analytics, and that is well stated in the introduction.
2. Is the research question interesting and important?	Yes, the research question is true and therefore relevant; this is even more true because of the increasing importance of big data analytics in the corporate world. It would be vital for any such organization to understand how value can be extracted from BDA considering the competitive environment.
3. Is the work original?	Yes, the work has an original take on using BDA as strategy, which places BDA at the level of strategic value. Few writers may have attempted to discuss the issue of Big Data and its accompanying advantages as much as the paper does; the paper creates an edge in emphasizing on strategic aspects of it and in offering an ordered way of grasping them.
4. Is the background research clear and relevant?	Yes, the background research is mostly clear and relevant. The article outlines the current state of knowledge quite well in terms of Big Data Analytics and the potential business it can bring in. However, a little more weight could be placed on the critical literatures on the previous ones so as to identify the gaps that this paper is attempting to fill.
5. Are there any ethical problems?	No, the paper, to this extent, is likely not going to raise any ethical issues, as it only expounds on how high-level strategies can be implemented or theoretical frameworks developed without engaging in primary research that involves human subjects or sensitive data.

B: The Research Method

Item	My Comments
Summary of the research method	The research was predominantly able to take a literature review method where the available literatures were utilized to create a theoretical framework which aims at concerning the strategic significance of Big Data Analytics. It classifies the value into several categories and examines its effect on companies.
Does the research method seem appropriate for the research question?	Yes, the research method as stated above is good for the research question since the aim is to develop an explanatory framework as opposed to testing the validity of a hypothesis or going into the field to conduct empirical research. A literature review is appropriate for this end.
Are the methods adequately described?	Yes, the methods are described adequately, though more detail on how the literature was selected and analyzed would enhance transparency and credibility.
Were the analyses done correctly?	Yes, the analyses appear to have been done correctly. There is sound reasoning and justification linking the literature and the framework devised. But there are also limitations—it begs the question whether such conclusions would have been reached had empirical data been available.
Are the conclusions supported by the data?	The data (in this case the literature reviewed) support these conclusions oftentimes but not always. Yet based on logic, without empirical data, these conclusions are pretty speculative and, as such will require testing through case studies or other forms of primary research.

C: Quality of Presentation

Item	My Comments
Is the work well presented?	Yes, the work is a well-enhanced presentation mounted with headings and subheadings, and an order of thoughts in succession is easy to see. The language is professional and understandable.
Is the paper well structured?	Yes, the work is a well-enhanced presentation mounted with headings and subheadings, and an order of thoughts in succession is easy to see. The language is professional and understandable.
Are symbols, terms, and concepts adequately defined?	Yes, symbols, terms and concepts are well defined. The paper makes sure to define basic terms in Big Data Analytics as well as explain their applicability to business strategy.
Would additional tables, figures help to clarify the work?	Additional tables and figures could help clarify the work, particularly in demonstrating the proposed structure and the distinct aspects of strategic value. More visual clarifications of the framework could increase the level of comprehension.

Overall Critique

The paper is an important and relevant addition to the literature on Big Data Analytics and offers a strategic view of the issue. However, this aspect alone makes the work less credible than it should be, as it lacks empirical substantiation and much elaborated methodology section US Effect Presentation 3-5 pages. All of the arguments that were presented in the paper were well structured, when additional visual aids would be necessary. As a developing paper it does provide the necessary foundation and investigation for further work in this field, in particular for the understanding of the strategic boundary created by Big Data.

The paper, ‘Creating Strategic Business Value from Big Data Analytics: A Research Framework‘ can be found here:

Journal of Management Information Systems / 2018, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 388–423.
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN 0742-1222 (print) / ISSN 1557-928X (online)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2018.1451951