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In this paper, we examine the fields of Network Science, Web Science and Internet Science. All three areas are interdisciplinary, and since the Web is based on the Internet, and both the Web and the Internet are networks, there is perhaps confusion about the relationship between them. We study the extent of overlap and ask whether one includes the others, or whether they are all part of the same larger domain. This paper provides an account of the emergence of each of these areas and outlines a framework for comparison. Based on this framework, we discuss these overlaps and propose directions for harmonization of research activities.

The computing community throughout the European Region is championing many enterprising industry, academic, and government initiatives to further develop the field and ensure a workforce prepared to take it on. The articles in this special section, written by some of the leading voices in the region, tell stories of informatics and ICT innovations, Web science in Europe, the EuroHPC, future research directions planned for this vibrant part of the world, and much more.

Despite the Web’s great success as a technology and the significant amount of computing infrastructure on which it is built, it remains, as an entity, surprisingly unstudied. Here, we look at some of the technical and social challenges that must be overcome to model the Web as a whole, keep it growing, and understand its continuing social impact. A systems approach, in the sense of systems biology, is needed if we are to be able to understand and engineer the future Web.

Here's how it can awaken computer science to the interdisciplinary possibilities of the Web's socially embedded computing technology.

A pair of divergent scientific communities discusses their similarities and differences, and search for common ground.