David Lazer; Alex Pentland; Lada Adamic; Sinan Aral; Albert-László Barabási; Devon Brewer; Nicholas Christakis; Noshir Contractor; James Fowler; Myron Gutmann; Tony Jebara; Gary King; Michael Macy; Deb Roy; Marshall Van Alstyne "SOCIAL SCIENCE: Computational Social Science," Science, 323, 5915 (6 February 2009): 721--723, copy at http://gking.harvard.edu/files/abs/LazPenAda09-abs.shtml. (Paper: PDF).

Abstract

A field is emerging that leverages the capacity to collect and analyze data at a scale that may reveal patterns of individual and group behaviors.

Also see related research.