Integration Path of Spatial and Geo-Computing and Computational Social Science

Abstract

Objectives - Geospatial data and computing plays an important role in the era of big data and artificial intelligence(AI), and provides a dimension of social studies in term of ontological, methodological, and epistemologs aspects. Methods This interview invited some influential scholars from the fields of sociology, geo-informatics, computing science and expressed their views on how spatial and geo-computing can be intergrated in computational social science. Results - Geospatial studies and social science share a very basic research objective which focuses on heterogeneity, and spatial big data provides an unprecedented paradigm for social studies. Also, challenges were raised on building a therotical framework, data availiablity, computing issues, and related concerns on ethics. Conclusions To solve the challenges, it requires the closer collaboration among social science, geo-science, and computer science. We wish this discussion could inspire the related studies and provide a blueprint for both geospatial and social computing.