Work

COMPLEX-IT: A Case-Based Modelling and Scenario Simulation Platform for Social Inquiry

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: COMPLEX-IT is a case-based, mixed-methods platform for applied social inquiry into complex data/systems, designed to increase non-expert access to the tools of computational social science (i.e., cluster analysis, artificial intelligence, data visualization, data forecasting, and scenario simulation). In particular, COMPLEX-IT aids applied social inquiry though a heavy emphasis on learning about the complex data/system under study, which it does by (a) identifying and forecasting major and minor clusters/trends; (b) visualizing their complex causality; and (c) simulating scenarios for potential interventions. COMPLEX-IT is accessible through the web or can be run locally and is powered by R and the Shiny web framework. Funding statement: COMPLEX-IT was developed with support from the grants received by CECAN, namely, Economic and Social Research Council (grant numbers: ES/N012550/1 and ES/S000402/1). Funding was also received from Durham University via the ESRC pathways to impact grant.

Source: Journal of Open Research Software

DOI: 10.5334/jors.298

Authors: Corey Schimpf, Brian Castellani

Institutions: University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Durham University

Language: English

Topic: Computational and Text Analysis Methods

Subfield: General Social Sciences

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $490

Funder: Economic and Social Research Council