An individual who is competent in statistics, math and computer science. Data scientists must have a thorough understanding of the organization's business along with proficiency in analytical tools. The primary goal of a data scientist is to analyze patterns in historical data in order to develop solutions that further the organization's goals. For example, data scientists in commercial enterprises try to find the most profitable products. In social media companies, data scientists are employed to track misinformation and disinformation. The data scientist discipline emerged around the turn of the century. "The Journal of Data Science" was first published by Columbia University in 2003. See
big data and
disinformation.