WORKSHOP

September 1 is reserved for two workshops. These workshops are pre-conference activities and are not included in the conference registration.
Click here to register for the workshops.
Note: This registration is separate from the conference registration. Please see the Registration page to register for the conference.

1) EXPONENTIAL RANDOM GRAPH MODELS FOR SOCIAL NETWORKS
Garry Robins
School of Behavioural Science,
University of Melbourne, Australia
Time: 10:00am-1:00pm, September 1, 2009

This workshop provides a short introduction to the application of exponential random graph models for social networks. The general theoretical background to these models will be briefly reviewed, model formulation discussed, and simulation, estimation and goodness of fit procedures presented. The incorporation of node-level attributes into these models will also be discussed. The workshop will include some hands-on exercises using the pnet software, both in simulating relevant graph distributions and in fitting illustrative data sets. Depending on time and interests of participants, extensions to models for multiple networks, bipartite networks and social influence processes on networks may be briefly presented.

2) CONSTUCTING, ANALYZING AND CRITIQUING AGENT-BASED MODELS
Uri Wilensky and members of Northwestern's Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling
Northwestern University
Time: 1:00-5:00pm, September 1, 2009
Notes: Participants should bring their own laptop computers.

Agent-based modeling (ABM) is a powerful technique that offers a new perspective into complex systems and situations. ABM has been used to create robust simulations of social and natural phenomena in areas as diverse as engineering, political science, biology, business processes, materials science, evolution, public health, and anthropology. In these models, "agents" are autonomous, potentially adaptive, entities with properties and behaviors, and thus they have a close relationship to real world objects and are easy to develop and analyze. As a result, ABM has proven particularly useful in helping to understand Complex Adaptive Systems through computational modeling and simulation.

This workshop will utilize a hands-on approach to learning ABM. The workshop will start out with a discussion of ABM concepts, techniques and examples. After that, workshop participants will be led through the development of a basic agent-based model and an introduction to NetLogo (http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo), a powerful cross-platform multi-agent modeling environment. NetLogo follows the design philosophy of "low threshold and high ceiling," meaning that it provides a gentle learning curve for beginners, but it is also appropriate for the creation of sophisticated scientific models of complex phenomena. The workshop will close with discussion of methods of analyzing, verifying, validating and critiquing agent-based models. No previous experience with NetLogo or programming is required for this workshop.

3) NETWORK WORKBENCH TOOL
Katy Börner
School of Library & Information Science
Indiana University
Time: 1:00pm - 5:00pm, September 3, 2009

This four-hour, hands-on workshop introduces the Network Workbench (NWB) Tool, the Cyberinfrastructure Shell, and the NWB Community Wiki developed in the NSF funded Network Workbench project. See http://nwb.slis.indiana.edu.

The NWB Tool is a network analysis, modeling, and visualization toolkit for physics, biomedical, and social science research. It is a standalone desktop application and can install and run on Windows, Linux x86 and Mac OSX. The tool provides easy access to more than 140 algorithms and diverse sample datasets for the study of networks. The loading, processing, and saving of four basic file formats (GraphML, Pajek .net, XGMML and NWB) and an automatic conversion service among those formats are supported. Additional algorithms and data formats can be integrated into the NWB Tool using wizard driven templates thanks to the Cyber infrastructure Shell (CIShell).

CIShell is an open source, software framework for the integration and utilization of datasets, algorithms, tools, and computing resources. Although the CIShell and the NWB tools are developed in JAVA, algorithms developed in other programming languages such as FORTRAN, C, and C++ can be easily integrated.

The Network Workbench Community Wiki is a place for users of the NWB tool, CIShell, and other CIShell-based programs to request, obtain, contribute, and share algorithms and datasets. The developer/user community can work together and create additional tools/services to meet both their own needs and the needs of their scientific communities at large. All algorithms and datasets that are available via the NWB tool have been well documented in the NWB Community Wiki.