8. The Evolution of Computational Social Science from a Sociology Perspective with Chris Bail

Diaries of Social Data Research

This unique episode centers on a "meta" discussion on interdisciplinary work involving large-scale social data. We interview Chris Bail, a Professor of Sociology and Public Policy at Duke University. Last year, Chris and co-authors Achim Edelman, Tom Wolff, and Danielle Montagne published an overview paper titled "Computational Social Science and Sociology" in the Annual Review of Sociology.

We discuss the challenges of defining this large research area, the benefits of making "lateral connections" with potential colleagues as a graduate student, and taking risks in pursuing new research directions. We also highlight the process behind the creation and growth of the Summer Institute in Computational Social Science, which Chris co-founded with Matt Salganik.