led by Paul Schuler, PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, and Shreya Sonthalia, PhD student at the University of Glasgow
The aim of this workshop is to introduce agent-based modelling and system dynamics, specifically in terms of their applications in social science and public health. We hope that participants have a good understanding of the types of questions these methods are suited to answer. Participants will learn the basic principles of the methods and get a sense of what the models look like as well as be signposted to resources to learn more about the method.
The workshop will be conducted over Zoom, starting at 9.30 am and finishing at 4.30pm, with a coffee break and a lunch break. The session will be interactive and the participants are strongly encouraged to attend the full day.
In the morning, we will provide an overview of agent-based modelling and system dynamics separately, introducing the key concepts, provide examples of how they have been used in social science and public health, and look at one simple model in detail to understand how it is built, tested and analysed. It will involve presentations with some interactive activities.
In the afternoon, we will compare the two methods, using one example. We will also use a few model examples to explain each method in practice and look at the program/code for one model for each method with the participants to show them how models are built and how they function. Following this, we will use activities in breakout rooms to structure a discussion about how these methods could be implemented into the participants’ own research. The session will be mostly interactive and participants are strongly encouraged to participate in discussions to make the most of the session.
Who is this for?
This session is for all social science PGR students at Scottish institutions, regardless of funding status, and is free to attend. We cover travel expenses for any student whose home institution is more than 30 miles away from the venue; you can see full details in our Expenses Policy.
No prior knowledge is needed as we will introduce required concepts and use simple models. Models are quantitative, so knowledge of quantitative methods will help to follow the processes.