Computational social science is growing up: why puberty consists of embracing measurement validation, theory development, and open science practices
Timon Elmer · 2023
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Description
Timon Elmer argues that computational social science needs to grow up by adopting stricter habits, in this 2023 paper. The young field studies society with big data and computer models. Elmer compares its stage to puberty, a time of testing limits and forming an identity.
He warns that the field leans too hard on passively gathered data, such as digital traces and wearable records, without checking that the data measure what they claim. He urges mixing such data with active surveys, building real theory, and opening research practices to scrutiny. Ten concrete recommendations close the paper, aimed at a more mature and trusted field.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Timon Elmer |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2023 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 54 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |