Data and Society: A Critical Introduction investigates the growing importance of data as a technological, social, economic and scientific resource. It explains how data practices have come to underpin all aspects of human life and explores what this means for those directly involved in handling data.The bookfosters informed debate over the role of data in contemporary societyexplains the significance of data as evidence beyond the "Big Data" hypespans the technical, sociological, philosophical and ethical dimensions of dataprovides guidance on how to use data responsiblyincludes data stories that provide concrete cases and discussion questions.Grounded in examples spanning genetics, sport and digital innovation, this book fosters insight into the deep interrelations between technical, social and ethical aspects of data work.