Web Science embraces the study of the Web as a vast information network of people and communities. It also includes the study of people and communities using the digital records of user activity mediated by the Web. An understanding of human behavior and social interaction can contribute to our understanding of the Web, and data obtained from the Web can contribute to our understanding of human behavior and social interaction. Accordingly, Web Science involves analysis and design of Web architecture and applications, as well as studies of the people, organizations, and policies that shape and are shaped by the Web.
To address these diverse goals, the Web Science conference is inherently interdisciplinary, integrating computer and information sciences, communication, linguistics, sociology, psychology, economics, law, political science, and other disciplines. This conference is unique in the manner in which it brings these disciplines together in creative and critical dialogue, and we invite papers from all the above disciplines, as well as those that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Following the success of WebSci’09 in Athens, WebSci’10 in Raleigh, and WebSci’11 in Koblenz, we are seeking papers and research notes that describe original research, analysis, and practice in the field of Web Science, as well as extended abstracts that discuss novel and thought-provoking ideas and works-in-progress.
