The vast majority of social science research uses small (megabyte- or gigabyte-scale) datasets. These fixedscale datasets are commonly downloaded to the researcher’s computer where the analysis is performed. The data can be shared, archived, and cited with wellestablished technologies, such as the Dataverse Project, to support the published results. The trend toward big data—including large-scale streaming data—is starting to transform research and has the potential to impact policymaking as well as our understanding of the social.