International Journal of Swarm Intelligence and Evolutionary Computation

Abstract

Simulation and Interpretation: A Research Note on Utilizing Qualitative Research in Agent-Based Simulation

Martin Neumann and Ulf Lotzmann

The paper provides a summarizing review of our research on integrating qualitative methodologies in agentbased social simulation. This holds for both the development of behavioural rules for software agents as well as for interpreting simulation results. Specifically we rely on Grounded Theory, a well-established methodology in qualitative social research. Development of agent rules relies on open coding in a Grounded Theory approach. Interpreting simulation results in a coherent story line relies on theoretical coding in a Grounded Theory approach. This is demonstrated at two examples: the first example shows how qualitative textual data is transformed in a conceptual model for agent-based simulation. The second example shows how numerical simulation results reveal a story line of a case. For this purpose the concept of stylized facts is consulted.