COMPLEX-IT: A Case-Based Modelling and Scenario Simulation Platform for Social Inquiry. Issue 1 (7th October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schimpf, Corey; Castellani, Brian
• Is Part Of: Journal of open research software. Volume 8:Issue 1(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-10-07
• Subjects: Complex systems -- computational modelling -- case-based methods -- social complexity theory -- evaluation research -- machine learning -- data forecasting -- data mining -- data visualization; Computer software -- Reusability -- Periodicals; Open source software -- Periodicals; 005
• DOI: 10.5334/jors.298
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2049-9647

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.