Data elements are fundamental resources, important productive forces, and new key production factors in the digital economy era. Data element circulation refers to the process of data collection, storage, processing, transmission, and application in different stages, in order to achieve efficient sharing and interoperability of data.

Data element circulation is an important strategic engine driving the integration and development of the digital economy and the real economy. It is a crucial means for sustaining the continuous operation of digital government, unlocking the social value, and market potential of government public data. It serves as an accelerator for the innovation in digital products and services. Governments, industry and academia all over the world have been paying close attention to the theory, application and development of data element circulation, mainly focusing on the foundational theory of data element circulation, market mechanisms for data element commodification, basic characteristics and confirmation methods of data elements, risk governance of data element circulation, technology for the protection of data element rights, and governance of data element circulation. Relevant technological and model innovations continue to emerge. Typical application scenarios of data element circulation include finance, transportation, internet of things, healthcare, logistics, public welfare, emergency management, education, marketing, and so on. In order to discuss the latest research progress of data element circulation, theory, methodology and applications, Journal of Systems Science and Information (JSSI) publishes this special issue, which selected seven latest research papers on theory, methodology and applications of data element circulation in different fields, including one theoretical discussion article, two optimization strategy papers, and four papers on practical application scenarios. We will classify and review data element circulation related studies from the above three aspects as follows:

1) Data Element Circulation mechanism analysis: In "Evolutionary Game Analysis of Profit Distribution between Government and Enterprises in Public Data Authorization Operations", Yu, et al. investigate the dynamics of profit distribution in public data authorization through an evolutionary game model. This work provides a foundational understanding of how evolutionary game theory can optimize the circulation of public data resources in government-enterprise partnerships.

2) Methodologies for optimizing data circulation in specific sectors: Jia, et al. explore the optimization of highway maintenance using data circulation in "Digitizing Highways: Unleashing Potential through Data Element Circulation for Safety, Cost Efficiency, and Environmental Impact Optimization." By developing a multi-objective optimization model, the authors analyze data from 2, 842 sections of the Lianhuo Highway network. Their study illustrates how data circulation can improve decision-making regarding maintenance strategies, balancing safety, cost, and environmental impact. In "Research on Countermeasures for the Governance of Virtual Currency Crimes in the Digital Economy Era", Liu, et al. examine the role of data circulation in addressing virtual currency crimes. The study proposes a blockchain-based system for securely storing and retrieving evidence in virtual currency crimes. By applying game theory, the authors show how such a system can deter illicit activities like money laundering, providing a valuable approach for improving the governance and regulation of virtual currency markets through enhanced data circulation.

3) Applications of data element circulation in practical contexts: Zhou, et al. analyze the operational impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on shopping centers in their study, "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Operational Performance of Shopping Centers: Empirical Evidence from Chinese Retail Stores." Using operational data from over 7,000 stores, they demonstrate how disruptions to physical data circulation led to declines in rental income and lease terminations. Fu, et al. investigate political discourse on Twitter using large language models in "Exploring Polarizing Political Discourse Among U.S. Congressional Members with Large Language Models." Their analysis identifies party affiliation and geographic region as key factors influencing the polarizing rhetoric of lawmakers. By examining data from over one million tweets, the study highlights the role of data circulation in amplifying political polarization, offering insights into the dynamics of political communication in the digital age. Yang, et al. address the challenges of data pricing in their study, "Research on Data Resource Pricing Method Based on SSA-XGBoost Model." The authors propose a prediction model using sparrow search optimization combined with XGBoost to enhance the dynamic pricing of data resources. In "The Application of Blockchain Technology in Multimodal Educational Resources", Chen, et al. discusses how blockchain can ensure secure, transparent sharing of educational materials, fostering collaboration among institutions while safeguarding intellectual property. The research highlights how blockchain can optimize data circulation within the education sector, improving access and quality control in educational content distribution.