EEOB publication - Hamilton

Agent-Based Modeling in Mixed Methods Research
Mark Moritz, Chelsea E. Hunter, Daniel C. Peart, Ian M. Hamilton. Agent-Based Modeling in Mixed Methods Research. Ruth, A., Wutich, A., & Bernard, H.R. (Eds.). The Handbook of Teaching Qualitative and Mixed Research Methods: A Step-by-Step Guide for Instructors (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003213277. 1st Edition. 2023. ISBN 9781003213277.
ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces students to the logic and practice of agent-based modeling—a form of computational modeling in which modelers build artificial worlds and examine how simple interactions among a heterogeneous population of agents lead to emergent outcomes. Agent-based modeling is often integrated in mixed methods research to either explore dynamic feedbacks and/or validate observations in the field. In this chapter, students develop a simple agent-based model of infectious diseases, run simulations, interpret the outcomes, discuss the implications for real-world problems, and learn how agent-based models can be used in mixed methods research.