Networks for Web Science

摘要网络是人类最大的信息系统构建。它既是基于国际公认的开放标准和开放协议设计的技术结构，也是由数百万人和组织创造的社会结构，这些人和组织以及制定政策和法规的政府在不同程度上控制什么内容出现在网络上，什么不允许出现在网络上。无论是在技术上还是在社会上，网络都是一个非常复杂的系统，正在以惊人的速度增长。据估计，目前网络的大小大约相当于大脑中神经元的数量，但很快就会远远超过这个数字。技术发展可以推断出下一代网络的技术基础，但不可能预测随着新技术的出现，网络将如何发展，因为很难预测随着时间的推移，人与组织的互动以及随着网络的发展，人们将做什么和不会做什么。我们目前生活在一个Web2世界(所谓的第二代Web)，在这个世界中，Web正在推动互联网上社交网络的增长和第二波网络业务。语义网，或Web3，技术才刚刚开始推出。我们知道这将产生重大影响，但更难预测社会和商业影响会是什么。网络科学将计算机科学家和工程师、社会科学家和政策制定者聚集在一起，研究由网络人格化的复杂信息系统。换句话说，网络科学是对分散的信息系统的研究。网络科学包括科学、工程、社会理解和能力建设。这项建议的目的是建立不同技术和社会科学研究学科的研究人员网络，通过博士生交流和协作讲习班开始制定网络科学研究议程，其结果将通过详细的审查论文传播。

SummaryThe Web is the largest human information system construct. It is both a technical structure engineered on the basis of open standards and open protocols that are agreed internationally, and a social construct created by the millions of people and organisations who fill it with content, and governments who create policies and regulations to control what is and isn't permitted to appear on the Web to varying degrees. Both technically and socially, the Web is a very complex system that is growing at an astonishing rate. It has been estimated that the size of the Web is currently approximately equivalent to the number of neurons in the brain but it will soon be much bigger than this.Technological developments can be extrapolated to forecast the technical underpinnings of the next generation of the Web, but it is impossible to predict how the Web will evolve as new technologies become available because it is very difficult to predict human and organisational interactions over time and what people will and won't do as the Web develops. We are currently living in a Web2 world (the so-called second generation Web), in which the Web is enabling the growth of social networks on the Internet and a second wave of dot-com businesses. Semantic Web, or Web3, technology is just beginning to roll out. We know it will have a significant impact but it is harder to predict what the social and business impacts will be. Web Science brings together computer scientists and engineers, social scientists and policy makers to study complex information systems as personified by the Web. In other words, Web Science is the study of decentralized information systems. Web Science encompasses science, engineering, social understanding and capacity building. The aim of this proposal is to establish networks of researchers from different technical and social science research disciplines to begin to develop a Web Science research agenda through the exchange of PhD students and collaborative workshops, the results of which will be disseminated through detailed review papers.