ABSTRACT
The modeling of social processes and systems using agent-based models (ABM) is increasingly seen as a valid tool over a wide range of disciplines including economics, sociology and anthropology (Gilbert and Troitzsch 2005; Halpin 1999). Although not considered a central tool or method within any one discipline ABM has attracted loyal followers in each area, bringing together researchers from many disciplines with different methodological backgrounds and approaches. This rich mixture of approaches and backgrounds is the primordial soup from which great and original work can evolve but it can also lead to misunderstanding, failure to communicate and, perhaps worst of all, the constant re-emergence of stale and entrenched debates that are very well represented in other areas of social science.
