Abstract
This Special Issue of Sustainability devoted to the topic of "Big Data Research for Social Sciences and Social Impact" attracted significant attention of scholars, practitioners, and policy-makers from all over the world. Locating themselves at the cross-section of advanced information systems and computer science research and insights from social science and engineering, all papers included in this Special Issue contribute to the debate on the use of big data in social sciences and big data social impact. By promoting a debate on the multifaceted challenges that our societies are exposed to today, this Special Issue offers an in-depth, integrative, well-organized, comparative study into the most recent developments shaping the future directions of interdisciplinary research and policymaking.