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.