Data Scientists Create Code Of Professional Conduct

Big data practitioners develop data science guidelines for a profession where, they say, ethics are often lacking.

Concerned about big data's potential for misuse, a new organization of data scientists has created a set of rules for their profession.

The Data Science Association is a non-profit organization with more than 500 members, even though it's only about 2 months old. Based in Denver, Colorado, its mission is to define the term "data science" and the duties and ethical responsibilities of the people who call themselves data scientists, according to founder and president Michael Walker.

"Things were really getting out of control in terms of the definition of 'data science,'" said Walker in a phone interview with InformationWeek. "A lot of people who really weren't data scientists started calling themselves data scientists. And I saw a lot of data science malpractice in the companies, or clients, that we work with."