Antosz, P., Birks, D. orcid.org/0000-0003-3055-7398, Edmonds, B. orcid.org/0000-0002-3903-2507 et al. (5 more authors) (2023) What do you want theory for? - A pragmatic analysis of the roles of “theory” in agent-based modelling. Environmental Modelling and Software, 168. 105802. ISSN 1364-8152
Abstract
There has been some discussion about agent-based modelling (ABM) and theory, particularly how ABM might facilitate theory building. However, there is confusion about the different ways they could relate and some scepticism as to whether theory is needed if one has an ABM. This paper distinguishes some of the different ways that the term “theory” is used in ABM papers in three important ABM journals: Environmental Modelling & Software, Computers, Environment and Urban Systems and the Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation. Apart from the simple-minded identification of theory with mathematics, we distinguish nine different ways that theory and ABM relate. This analysis is situated with respect to some of the expectations and philosophical background behind the idea of “theory”. The paper concludes with some ways in which theory and ABM could work better together, some possible ways forward and suggests that a more cautious approach to generalisation might be more appropriate.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync/4.0/). |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Law (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 13 Sep 2023 13:59 |
Last Modified: | 13 Sep 2023 13:59 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.envsoft.2023.105802 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:203297 |