Computational Methods for Communication Science

Book excerpt: Computational Methods for Communication Science showcases the use of innovative computational methods in the study of communication. This book discusses the validity of using big data in communication science and showcases a number of new methods and applications in the fields of text and network analysis. Computational methods have the potential to greatly enhance the scientific study of communication because they allow us to move towards collaborative large-N studies of actual behavior in its social context. This requires us to develop new skills and infrastructure and meet the challenges of open, valid, reliable, and ethical "big data" research. This volume brings together a number of leading scholars in this emerging field, contributing to the increasing development and adaptation of computational methods in communication science. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal Communication Methods and Measures.