The Web Science Research Initiative

The Web Science Research Initiative (WSRI) is a joint endeavour between the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at MIT and the School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) at the University of Southampton. The goal of WSRI is to facilitate and produce the fundamental scientific advances necessary to inform the future design and use of the World Wide Web.

The Initiative seeks to bring together academics, scientists, sociologists, entrepreneurs and decision makers from around the world. These people are to create the first multidisciplinary research body to examine the World Wide Web and offer the practical solutions needed to help guide its future use and design.

Tim Berners-Lee, credited with inventing the World Wide Web, director of the World Wide Web Consortium, senior research scientist at MIT and professor at the University of Southampton is one of the four founding directors of the Initiative.