Introduction to computational social science
Matthew J. Salganik
Department of Sociology
Princeton University
What is computational social science?
Anything that’s cool
What is computational social science?
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aac4420
Blumenstock et al. (2015), Figure 2
Blumenstock et al.
Blumenstock et al. Demographic & Health Survey
Blumenstock et al. Demographic & Health Survey
I 10 times faster
I 50 times cheaper
Blumenstock et al. (2015), Figure 3
I computational and social science
I computational and social science
I often involves ethical/privacy questions that are now
considered complex
I computational and social science
I often involves ethical/privacy questions that are now
considered complex
I combines readymades and custommades
readymades custommades
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duchamp_Fountaine.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%27David%27_by_Michelangelo_JBU0001.JPG
What is computational social science?
I computational and social science
I often involves ethical/privacy questions that are now
considered complex
I combines readymades and custommades
Isn’t computational social science a fad?
Isn’t computational social science a fad?
No
Bit by Bit, Fig 1.1, based on Hilbert and Lòpez (2011)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gartner_Hype_Cycle.svg
How do we create a computational social
science community?
Social Scientists ←→ Data Scientists
What is data science?
Anything that’s cool
What is data science?
https://doi.org/10.1080/10618600.2017.1384734
https://doi.org/10.1080/10618600.2017.1384734
I goes back to Tukey (1962)
https://doi.org/10.1080/10618600.2017.1384734
I goes back to Tukey (1962)
I learning from data
https://doi.org/10.1080/10618600.2017.1384734
I goes back to Tukey (1962)
I learning from data
I it includes statistics and much more
Social Scientists ←→ Data Scientists
I Data science alone is not enough if we want to study social
behavior
I Data science alone is not enough if we want to study social
behavior
I Social science alone is not enough if we want to use new data
sources
Hanna Wallach (2015) reports overhearing: “I don’t get it. Why is
that research?”
Hanna Wallach (2015) reports overhearing: “I don’t get it. Why is
that research?”
Computer science Social science
Study anything Study social things
Methods driven Question driven
Large found data Small designed data
Prediction Explanation
http://videolectures.net/icml2015_wallach_social_science/
Another important difference between social science and data
science:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Glass- of- water.jpg
Social Scientists ←→ Data Scientists
Thanks
