【Purpose/significance】In order to understand the domestic and foreign research in the field of big data, find outthe similarities and differences between domestic and foreign research dynamics and research hotspots of big data, andforecast the domestic and foreign research trends of big data.【Method/process】By using bibliometric and knowledgemapping visualization methods, taking journal articles in the SCI database and CNKI database in the field of big data from2011 to 2015 as examples, the paper makes a quantitative statistics and qualitative analysis from the time sequencedistribution, country/area of literature distribution, discipline and periodical distribution, distribution of high yield authorsand research institutions, research hotspots and research trend. [Result/conclusion] Big data has become a research hotspot,but the research on big data is still in its infancy and development period. The combination of big data and Internet ofthings, cloud computing will become the research hotspots and research trends in the future.