This paper discusses how stylized facts derived from bibliometric studies can be used to build social simulation models of science. Based on a list of six stylized facts of science it illustrates how they can be brought into play to consolidate and direct research. Moreover, it discusses...

We propose using community-centered analyses and agent-based models of scientific gatherings such as conferences, symposia and workshops as a way to understand how scientific practices evolve and transition between local, community, and systems levels in science. We suggest using robotics as a...

This paper addresses a set of methodological problems arising in the empirical validation of agent-based (AB) economics models and discusses how these are currently being tackled. These problems are generic for all those engaged in AB modelling, not just economists. The discussion is therefore...

This paper suggests procedures for decreasing misunderstanding between modellers in social simulation, aiming at helping modellers comprehending a certain phenomena from different perspectives, being aware of the relativity of each approach, and drawing conclusions from the different...

The paper investigates what is meant by "good science" and "bad science" and how these differ as between the natural (physical and biological) sciences on the one hand and social sciences on the other. We conclude on the basis of historical evidence that the natural science are much more heavily...

This special section includes papers originally presented at a workshop on \'Epistemological Perspectives on Simulation\' in July 2004 at the University of Koblenz, in which some thirty colleagues participated. It had been our impression that there was (and still is) a small, but growing number...

The growing field of studies of opinion formation using physical formalisms and computer simulation based tools suffers from relative lack of connection to the 'real world' societal behaviour. Such sociophysics research should aim at explaining observations or at proposing new ones....

In a paper published in JASSS (Vol. 5, no. 1) Chris Goldspink discusses the methodological implications of complex systems approaches to the modeling of social systems. Like others before him Goldspink advocates the use of bottom-up computer simulations (BUCSs) for examining social phenomena. It...

We provide simple general-purpose rules for agents to buy inputs, sell outputs and set production rates. The agents proceed by trial and error using PID controllers to adapt to past mistakes. These rules are computationally inexpensive, use little memory and have zero-knowledge of the outside...