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Computational Social Scientist in Online Political Communication & Platform Governance

I am Daniel Cowen, a PhD candidate in Computational Social Science at the University of Groningen. As a researcher, I study the dynamics of social systems—how conflict, cooperation, and innovation emerge and spread across networks. My work combines digital trace analysis, NLP, Bayesian modeling, and agent-based simulation to understand patterns of behavior, whether mapping toxic cascades in political discussions, tracking friendship formation, or analyzing innovation ecosystems. I connect empirical findings to questions of platform design, democratic speech, and social identity, all through the lens of computational social science.

Research Interests

  • Longitudinal intergroup dynamics and social identity formation
  • Behavioral diffusion
  • Online political communication and hostile discourse repercussions
  • Computational social science and digital trace analysis
  • Natural language processing for detecting toxicity and bridging behaviors
  • Habermasian public sphere theory in digital contexts
  • Agent-based modeling of social phenomena

Current Research

PhD in Computational Social Science — University of Groningen (November 2022 – December 2026 (expected))

Part of the SCOOP (Sustainable Cooperation Program) and the ICS (Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology). My research on identities, networks, and cooperation focuses on understanding how online platform design shapes discourse dynamics and cooperation potential in politically divided communities.

Technical Skills

  • Programming Languages: Python, R, NetLogo, JavaScript
  • NLP & Text Analysis: Sentiment analysis, toxicity detection, discourse analysis
  • Statistical Methods: Bayesian modeling, network analysis, causal inference, agent-based modelling
  • Tools & Libraries: scikit-learn, NLTK, spaCy, tidyverse, networkx, MESA, data visualization
  • Data Collection: Web scraping, API integration, digital trace analysis

Personal

Outside of academia, I enjoy playing tennis, making music, and (admittedly) reading about political systems in countries I am not from.