**** Apologies for cross-posting **** CALL FOR PAPERS Computational Tools for Social Simulation Workshop at e-Social Science 2007 (http://ess.si.umich.edu/) October 7-9, Ann Arbor, Michigan, US http://ess.si.umich.edu/workshops.htm The methodology of computational modeling and simulation is gaining momentum in the social sciences, including economics, sociology, and political science. Social simulation is often viewed as a ‘third symbol system’ that offers an alternative to, or ‘middle ground’ between, natural language (i.e., verbal) and mathematical modeling. Computational models retain much of the flexibility of verbal models; yet, they enforce precision and consistency. Computational methods, however, have their own set of challenges, especially when applied by researchers whose expertise lies in domains different from software development. The current trend in applying agent-based computational models to the social sciences began to gain momentum in the mid-1990s. As with most emerging methodologies, agent-based social simulation at that time lacked unified standards, widely adopted methodologies, and well- articulated best practices. Only a single dedicated toolset (i.e., Swarm), was widely available and even that was only available in a prototype version. Simulations were written using a variety of unrelated programming techniques and languages. Since implementation and publishing standards had not yet been articulated, these models were often ‘black boxes’ whose results were hard to replicate. The last decade has seen an intensive, yet unfinished development of computational modeling methods for social science, both in understanding the range of applicability of the approach and in furthering the technical and methodological toolset of social simulation. In particular, the number of available toolkits for social simulation has increased, and the toolkits themselves have become more full-featured and easier to use. The aims of the proposed workshop are to discuss the current state of the art of tools and techniques for computational modeling in the social sciences with special focus on the agent-based methodology, and to provide an opportunity to shape future developments of those tools and in the use of computational modeling within the social sciences. Intended Audience This workshop is primarily intended for users and developers of existing tools for social simulation with special focus on the agent- based approach. However, social scientists from all disciplines who are interested in social simulation are also welcome. Goals of the Workshop The aim of the workshop is to provide a venue for describing and comparing the available computational tools for social simulation (focusing on agent-based modeling), and to discuss future user needs exploiting the emerging toolset of e-Science. Participants are also encouraged to discuss future trends and explore possibilities for emerging standards in social simulation. Topics This workshop welcomes submissions concerning all aspects of tools for agent-based social simulation, including but not limited to: - Platforms for social simulation, in particular for agent-based modeling - Tools for processing and analyzing the results of social simulation - Simulations mixing human and artificial agents - Design of social simulation experiments - Efficient execution of social simulation experiments - Tools for harnessing computational resources (e.g. grid systems) for social simulation - Experiences with existing tools for social simulation - Web-based simulation and its application to the social sciences - GIS-based spatial simulation and coupled human-environmental systems - Tools/platforms for mixing the agents with other approaches (e.g., system dynamics) Proceedings The Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation (JASSS, http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/) has indicated interest to host a special section in one of their future issues based on a selection of the papers presented at the Computational Tools for Social Science workshop. Submission Electronic submissions of abstracts (300 words), extended abstracts (2500 words) or full papers are expected at address@hidden For formatting instructions, please, consult with http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/admin/submit.html. Full papers should be submitted in two forms: (a) the full manuscript, in the format recommended at http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/admin/submit.html (b) an anonymous version of the manuscript (i.e. without authors, affiliations or acknowledgements) as a PDF file. Important Dates August 26 Submission of Abstracts, Extended Abstracts or Full Papers for possible presentation at the workshop. September 9 Notifications of acceptance for workshop presentation October 7 Workshop December 7 Submission of Full Papers for the JASSS Special Section January 15 Notification of Acceptance for JASSS Special Section Organizers Laszlo Gulyás, Ph.D., Director of Research at AITIA International Inc and adjunct professor at Lorand Eotvos University, Budapest, Hungary. (Member of the MASS Development Team). Michael J. North, MBA, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the Center for Complex Adaptive Agent Systems Simulation within the Decision and Information Sciences Division of Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL USA, and Coordinator of the Repast Organization for Architecture and Design (ROAD). William Rand, Ph.D., Research Fellow at the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL USA and Member of the NetLogo Development Team at the Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling. Rick L Riolo, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist, Director of the Computer Lab for the Center for the Study of Complex Systems (CSCS), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA.