Introduction to Computational Social Science

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XXXIII

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2. Introduction

   • Claudio Cioffi-Revilla

   Pages 1-21

3. Computation and Social Science

   • Claudio Cioffi-Revilla

   Pages 23-66

4. Automated Information Extraction

   • Claudio Cioffi-Revilla

   Pages 67-88

5. Social Networks

   • Claudio Cioffi-Revilla

   Pages 89-117

6. Social Complexity I: Origins and Measurement

   • Claudio Cioffi-Revilla

   Pages 119-144

7. Social Complexity II: Laws

   • Claudio Cioffi-Revilla

   Pages 145-170

8. Social Complexity III: Theories

   • Claudio Cioffi-Revilla

   Pages 171-221

9. Simulations I: Methodology

   • Claudio Cioffi-Revilla

   Pages 223-247

10. Simulations II: Variable-Oriented Models

    • Claudio Cioffi-Revilla

    Pages 249-271

11. Simulations III: Object-Oriented Models

    • Claudio Cioffi-Revilla

    Pages 273-303

12. Back Matter

    Pages 305-320

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This reader-friendly textbook is the first work of its kind to provide a unified Introduction to Computational Social Science (CSS). Four distinct methodological approaches are examined in detail, namely automated social information extraction, social network analysis, social complexity theory and social simulation modeling. The coverage of these approaches is supported by a discussion of the historical context, as well as by a list of texts for further reading. Features: highlights the main theories of the CSS paradigm as causal explanatory frameworks that shed new light on the nature of human and social dynamics; explains how to distinguish and analyze the different levels of analysis of social complexity using computational approaches; discusses a number of methodological tools; presents the main classes of entities, objects and relations common to the computational analysis of social complexity; examines the interdisciplinary integration of knowledge in the context of social phenomena.

• Complexity Theory
• Computational Social Science (CSS)
• Social Data Mining
• Social Geographic Information Systems (SocioGIS)
• Social Network Analysis
• Social Simulation

From the book reviews:

“This 300 pages book a very good introduction to CSS, as it covers all relevant aspects that are fundamental to start a CSS research. … the book could be used for teaching methodological aspects of modeling in the social sciences … . Claudio-Cioffi’s book is a must read for any beginner of CSS. … It is a great synthesis of the main achievements in this field that could be fruitfully adopted by anyone teaching CSS as an introductory guide.” (František Kalvas, jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk, February, 2015)

“It is a nice introduction for beginners to grasp the fundamentals of CSS. … This well-organized book provides a timely and comprehensive systematic introduction to CSS. The chapters are relatively independent. … Although this book is intended as a CSS textbook for graduate students … anyone who is interested in the fundamentals of CSS would benefit from reading it.” (Chenyi Hu, Computing Reviews, August, 2014)

• George Mason University, Fairfax, USA

  Claudio Cioffi-Revilla

Dr. Claudio Cioffi-Revilla is Professor of Computational Social Science, founding and former Chair of the Department of Computational Social Science and founding and current Director of the Center for Social Complexity at George Mason University, VA, USA.

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