Copyright Sociological Research Online, 1997

Centre for Research on Simulation in the Social Sciences

CRESS, the Centre for Research on Simulation in the Social Sciences, is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council in order to increase awareness and use of simulation by social scientists. It will draw together and promote current research on the application and benefits of simulation methods across the social sciences.

CRESS is organising and supporting the following activities in order to achieve this aim:

• Reviews of the potential of simulation in selected areas of the social sciences

  A set of reviews of existing work are being commissioned. These will also identify areas for further research. The reviews will be published in a special issue of the American Behavioural Scientist in late 1998.

• Short courses on simulation in the social sciences

  Courses introducing the main approaches to simulation will be offered. The first will be held on 10 December 1997 at the University of Surrey. Bursaries towards the cost of attendance will be available. A tutorial on simulation will also be mounted at the International Sociological Association's 1998 World Conference in Montreal and others are planned.

• Workshop on the potential of simulation in the social sciences

  A two day workshop with guest lectures from European and American scholars is being arranged for December 1997. A call for papers illustrating the range of applications of computer simulation in the social sciences will be issued in June.

• Web site and email distribution list

  To encourage the distribution of information about simulation, an email distribution list is being established. To join, send a message to

  mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk

  
  containing the line:
  

  join simsoc First-name Surname

  
  substituting your own name. A Web site with links to sites related to social simulation around the world will be opened in August 1997.

• Other activities

  Let us know if there are other activities which would help promote the use of social simulation in your field, and if you would like to contribute to the review series or take part in the workshop.

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CRESS data

Nigel Gilbert is Director of CRESS.

Edmund Chattoe is Associate Director.

CRESS is located at

Department of Sociology,
School of Human Sciences,
University of Surrey,
Guildford GU2 5XH,
United Kingdom.
Tel: + 44 (0) 1 483 259365
Fax: + 44 (0) 1 483 306290
Email: cress@soc.surrey.ac.uk.
Web: http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/re search/cress

Nigel Gilbert
Director, CRESS

Copyright Sociological Research Online, 1997