There is not only an emerging new science about data, there is also new data about science, in particular about scientific activities related to publications, collaborations, and citations. EPJ Data Science, with its focus on the digital traces generated in techno-socio-economic systems, aims to provide a platform for this research on science, to facilitate the science of science. We start with a first batch of papers that particularly address the social dimension of scientific activities, i.e. the role of the social network in successful publications, the role of early success in incentivising researchers, or the role of author and citation networks in improving predictions. The focus section will continue.
Edited by: Frank Schweitzer