Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) is a tool that faciliates the study of complex systems, which is being applied for the analysis and understanding of social phenomena and as support for decision making. Social system entities can be modelled as autonomous agents that interact in an environment. These models can be simulated in order to analyse emergent behaviour in several scenarios and configurations.
Our research focuses on facilitating the use of existing simulation tools, which require programming skills that are beyond the usual training of many social researchers. Graphical modeling environments tailored to specific areas of study arise as a help to overcome this difficulties. They represent the basic concepts of a domain by icons and significant relationships that researchers manipulate with graphical editors. This largely releases the social researcher from programming and implementation details.
The feasibility of this approach has been shown in several projects developing simulations in areas such as social networks, financial markets, crisis and emergency management, traffic management, distributed project management, water distribution networks, monitoring of marine ecosystems, formation of work teams, and Commons based peer production.
Responsible: Juan Pavón
