Recently, an English monograph titled Machine Learning in Social Science: Applications and Advances, authored by Professor Chen Yunsong of Nanjing University, together with Chen Zhuo, Ma Wen and Ju Guodong, has been published by Palgrave Macmillan, an internationally renowned academic publisher. This is the third Engligh monograph published by Professor Chen's team in the field of social science methodology in recent years.
More than a technical handbook, the book offers a systematic response to current social science researches methodology. Moving beyond the straightforward application of algorithms, it constructs an integrated methodological framework that spans supervised learning–based prediction, latent construct calibration, "computational grounded theory" for theory generation, and enhanced approaches to causal inference. Drawing on Chinese-rooted empirical cases, the authors combine cutting-edge machine learning techniques with classical sociological theory, opening up a new path on how quantitative and qualitative approaches can be combined.
Xie Yu, Member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and Professor at Princeton University, has described the book as "an essential reading for understanding the frontiers of contemporary sociology." As a representative example of translating Chinese experiences into internationally accessible academic discourse, the book highlights the growing agency of Chinese scholars in the field of computational social science. It also contributes to build a Chinese independent intellectual system of social science with global relevance. This work is highly recommended for scholars committed to broadening the scope of social science inquiry.
