Frequently Asked Questions
What is Computational Social Science?
The application of computer science and big data techniques to social science research.
Why is Computational Social Science emerging now?
Due to advances in machine learning and computational techniques, and the proliferation of digital footprints, human and societal behavior that was previously unquantifiable and unobservable now generates data that can be collected and analyzed to make insights and predictions.
Why are businesses focused on CSS?
This ability to collect and analyze massive amounts of social and behavioral data is poised to disrupt and transform business intelligence, operations, and organization.
What is the format of the summit?
The summit is a 3-day conference that will feature a skills workshop, a datathon, research presentations, special topic panels, and keynote speakers who represent the cutting edge of computational social science.
What will be covered in training workshops?
The training workshops are intended to be an introduction to core computing skills used in computational social science. It is a great opportunity for sociological researchers who are newcomers to computational techniques or who want to broaden their tool-kits with exposure to new methodologies.
Two workshops are currently planned: “Introduction to Core Computing Skills: the Unix Shell and R” and “Social Network Analysis Using R: Network Metrics and Network Graphs.” A third workshop will be held, but its topic is still under-development.
I have received confirmation that my application for the workshop has been accepted. What do I need to do prior to the summit?
To get the most out of the workshops, advance preparation is necessary. Instructions for preparing for the workshops are
available here.
What is the Datathon?
A datathon is a marathon session in which participants work together to turn datasets into insight. Researchers who already have computational skills will utilize prepared datasets and computational methods to respond to sociological questions developed by a panel of judges.
The theme of the datathon will be “Crime in Chicago”. Judges will include Gueorgi Kossinets from Google Research, Matt Gee from Data Science for Social Good and the University of Chicago Harris School, and Susan Parker from the University of Chicago Crime Lab.
I have received confirmation that my application for the datathon has been accepted. What do I need to do prior to the summit?
To get the most out of the datathon, advance preparation is necessary. Instructions for preparing for the workshops are
available here.
Who are the keynote speakers at the summit?
David Ferrucci (Bridgewater Associates and IBM-Watson), Katy Börner (Indiana University), Sandra Gonzalez-Bailon (University of Pennsylvania), Michael Macy (Cornell University) and Moran Cerf (Northwestern University) will be the summit’s keynote speakers.
Read more about their background and their work here.
What topics are going to be covered by the summit panels?
Panels will address issues such as reproducibility across the academic/industry divide, how human subjects review procedures apply to new data collection techniques, alternative metrics for assessing productive collaborations, how to apply computational methods to social science research, and new research in computational social science.
What are some additional resources to learn about CSS?
There are some great articles that explore both the opportunities and obstacles for computational social science. Here are a few to get you started:
“Big Data. Big Obstacles.” Conley, Dalton et al.,
The Chronicle of Higher Education
“Computational Social Science: Exciting Progress and Future Directions” Watts, Duncan J.,
National Academy of Engineering
“Computational Social Science” Lazer, David, et al.,
Science
"Is Bigger Always Better?" Hargittai, Eszter,
The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
"The Ultimate Data Set - Computational Social Science Aims to Discover Universal Facts." Uzzi, Brian,
Kellogg Insight
