Smart data, information geographies and intelligent data services

We review the supplementation and partial replacement of survey-driven investigations to today's dynamic, geographically-enabled data ecosystems and the role of smart data within them. This raises critical challenges in the smart data paradigm, arising from data ownership, fragmented digital personas, coverage biases and algorithmic risks. In response, we propose a work-flow model for “smart data services”, prioritizing academic sector-wide licensing agreements, cross-source data linkage and assessment of data provenance. This also requires use of trusted research environments and standardized preprocessing procedures, culminating in the production and delivery of “research-ready data”. We describe how such data can mitigate ecological fallacies, bridging theoretical and practical advances in information geography and leveraging smart data to enhance social science's relevance and inclusivity in the digital age. • Reviews the transformation in data-led social science investigation. • Outlines the growth of smart data services which facilitate this step change. • Presents an agenda for the development of social science data research.