Advancing the art of simulation in the social sciences

Advancing the state of the art of simulation in the social sciences requires appreciating the unique value of simulation as a third way of doing science, in contrast to both induction and deduction. Simulation can be an effective tool for discovering surprising consequences of simple assumptions. This essay offers advice for doing simulation research, focusing on the programming of a simulation model, analyzing the results and sharing the results with others. Replicating other people’s simulations gets special emphasis, with examples of the procedures and difficulties involved in the process of replication. Finally, suggestions are offered for fostering of a community of social scientists who do simulation. Note: This is an updated version of an article originally published in Rosario Conte, Rainer Hegselmann and Pietro Terna (eds.), Simulating Social Phenomena (Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1997), pp. 21-40. Reprinted with permission of Springer-Verlag.