Bigger Computational Social Science: Data, Theories, Models, and Simulations -- Not Just Big Data

Abstract

Computational social science (CSS) is an interdisciplinary field of social science that integrates individual social science disciplines. Its purpose is to advance scientific understanding of social phenomena through the medium of computing, which is used both as a paradigm and a methodological tool. Recently, restrictive versions of CSS have been proposed, based on “big data” now available from social media and other sources and progress in algorithms from computer science, while eschewing theory, models, or computational simulations — all three major parts of CSS. This paper argues for a comprehensive and balanced CSS that is paradigmatically guided by theory, enriched by analytical models, and enabled by computer simulations, all three drawing on data, be it big or small.