A standard form of citation of this article is:
Deichsel, Simon and Pyka, Andreas (2009). 'A Pragmatic Reading of Friedman's Methodological Essay and What It Tells Us for the Discussion of ABMs'. Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation 12(4)6 <https://www.jasss.org/12/4/6.html>.
The following can be copied and pasted into a Bibtex bibliography file, for use with the LaTeX text processor:
@article{deichsel2009,
title = {A Pragmatic Reading of Friedman's Methodological Essay and What It Tells Us for the Discussion of ABMs},
author = {Deichsel, Simon and Pyka, Andreas},
journal = {Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation},
ISSN = {1460-7425},
volume = {12},
number = {4},
pages = {6},
year = {2009},
URL = {https://www.jasss.org/12/4/6.html},
keywords = {Methodology, Agent-Based Modelling, Assumptions, Calibration},
abstract = {The issues of empirical calibration of parameter values and functional relationships describing the interactions between the various actors plays an important role in agent based modelling. Agent-based models range from purely theoretical exercises focussing on the patterns in the dynamics of interactions processes to modelling frameworks which are oriented closely at the replication of empirical cases. ABMs are classified in terms of their generality and their use of empirical data. In the literature the recommendation can be found to aim at maximizing both criteria by building so-called 'abductive models'. This is almost the direct opposite of Milton Friedman's famous and provocative methodological credo 'the more significant a theory, the more unrealistic the assumptions'. Most methodologists and philosophers of science have harshly criticised Friedman's essay as inconsistent, wrong and misleading. By presenting arguments for a pragmatic reinterpretation of Friedman's essay, we will show why most of the philosophical critique misses the point. We claim that good simulations have to rely on assumptions, which are adequate for the purpose in hand and those are not necessarily the descriptively accurate ones.},
}The following can be copied and pasted into a text file, which can then be imported into a reference database that supports imports using the RIS format, such as Reference Manager and EndNote.
TY - JOUR
TI - A Pragmatic Reading of Friedman's Methodological Essay and What It Tells Us for the Discussion of ABMs
AU - Deichsel, Simon
AU - Pyka, Andreas
Y1 - 2009/10/31/
JO - Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation
SN - 1460-7425
VL - 12
IS - 4
SP - 6
UR - https://www.jasss.org/12/4/6.html
KW - Methodology
KW - Agent-Based Modelling
KW - Assumptions
KW - Calibration
N2 - The issues of empirical calibration of parameter values and functional relationships describing the interactions between the various actors plays an important role in agent based modelling. Agent-based models range from purely theoretical exercises focussing on the patterns in the dynamics of interactions processes to modelling frameworks which are oriented closely at the replication of empirical cases. ABMs are classified in terms of their generality and their use of empirical data. In the literature the recommendation can be found to aim at maximizing both criteria by building so-called 'abductive models'. This is almost the direct opposite of Milton Friedman's famous and provocative methodological credo 'the more significant a theory, the more unrealistic the assumptions'. Most methodologists and philosophers of science have harshly criticised Friedman's essay as inconsistent, wrong and misleading. By presenting arguments for a pragmatic reinterpretation of Friedman's essay, we will show why most of the philosophical critique misses the point. We claim that good simulations have to rely on assumptions, which are adequate for the purpose in hand and those are not necessarily the descriptively accurate ones.
ER -