Alternative Data for FinTech and Business Intelligence

The authors introduce recent research in economics and business-related fields utilizing data from unconventional sources or of unstructured nature. Highlighting unifying themes of such big data and the methodologies for analyzing them at scale, this chapter elaborates the applications of (i) textual analysis in corporate finance, investment, and macroeconomic forecasts, (ii) image processing in financial markets and governance, (iii) digital footprints from social media and mobile devices, and (iv) emerging data from the Internet of Things. The authors also discuss promising directions of using alternative or unstructured data for both academics and practitioners