Social Simulation 2018 is the 14th Annual Conference of the European Social Simulation Association (ESSA). Social simulation concerns anyone what addresses social science questions using simulation as a method. Social simulation advances science by forcing theorists to make their assumptions and measures explicit enough to implement in a computational model, while the empirical research community benefits from the testing of scenarios to produce hypotheses as well as measures that can be applied to the real world. In addition, social simulation is growingly used for policy-making advice, for instance by producing scenarios of the likely consequences of alternative policy options

Looking in the mirror is the theme of the 2018 conference. As the relatively young field/society enters puberty some critical self-reflection is sought by looking in the mirror ourselves, with relevant others. With high potential of having identity crisis as well as moments of inspiration and insight, this conference aims to support during growing pains of a society in transformation towards proper scientific adulthood.

Submissions
SSC 2018 seeks submissions for the following categories:
· Special Tracks
· Poster Abstracts, Extended Abstracts, and Full Papers
· Workshops and Round Tables

Special tracks
Special tracks will be held in parallel during the conference. A special track consists of a group of papers in a sub-area of the larger domain of social simulation and computational social science. ESSA Special Interest Groups, as well as interested persons, are encouraged to propose such special tracks. Proposals should include: a special track title; a draft of the special track call for papers; the name(s) and affiliation(s) of the track chairs. A successful special track will consist of at least 2-3 extended abstracts and/or full papers.

Important Dates Special Tracks
Proposal Deadline: 31st of January
Notification of Acceptance: 9th of February
For suggestions for special tracks, please use this email address: [email protected].

Abstracts, Extended Abstracts, and Full Papers
SSC 2018 seeks high-quality submissions addressing original research on social simulation / computational social science (see below a list of suggested topics). All work must be original, i.e. must not have appeared in conference proceedings, books, or journals and may not be under review for other archival conferences, books, or journals.
Abstracts of 300 – 500 words can qualify for a poster presentation, whereas extended abstracts of 3-4 pages can lead to short oral presentations and full papers of maximum 12 pages can be invited for long oral presentations.
All accepted submissions will be included in the proceedings (the Organizing Committee is in contact with Springer), unless the author(s) choose(s) otherwise. A number of full papers will be invited to submit revised versions to various journals with which the Organizing Committee is in contact (e.g. JASSS, other disciplinary journals).

SSC 2018 solicits abstracts, extended abstracts, and full papers for the following special tracks:
1) ESSA@work
2) Blue Sky Ideas
3) ESSA Special Interest Groups tracks
4) Other special tracks (as submitted following the procedure described above)
During the submission process authors can choose to submit to the general conference or to one of the special tracks.

ESSA@work
ESSA@work stands for discussing work-in-progress. It is a workshop concept where any modeller can receive and give support on simulation work-in-progress while being part of a selforganising group. ESSA@work aims to create space for in-depth discussions and returning back to your desk with some concrete answers to your questions.
For this special track the author(s) will be prompted with a request to provide an additional paragraph (250 words) detailing a problem or specific question that the participant would like to discuss in the ESSA@work session and some information on background and skills.

Blue-Sky Ideas
So far, SSC has been known for its great papers on carried out research while more visionary ideas were limited to plenaries or coffee breaks. Now that SSC is coming of age, we want to give visionary ideas, long-term challenges, new research opportunities, and controversial debate a place in the program for which one can apply. Blue Sky ideas is the name used for similar tracks in different workshops.
We encourage submissions of innovative, risky, and provocative ideas, which are clearly presented, rigorously developed, and critically reflected upon. Preliminary work or submissions reporting on existing approaches will not be accepted for this track - there is ample room for those already in the regular tracks and ESSA@work.
Accepted papers would reflect on for instance the use and abuse of social simulation and computational social science in solving contemporary challenges; new, forgotten, or underrepresented methodologies and application areas; their potential opportunities and risks; and on the future of the research area and its community within the broader social sciences and computing domains.

ESSA Special Interest Groups tracks
For the ESSA Special Interest Groups tracks, check http://www.essa.eu.org/special-interests-groups/

Important Dates Abstract, Extended Abstract, Full Paper
Submission Deadline: 30th of March
Notification of Acceptance: 14th of May
Final Version Submission: 11th of June
Contributions and suggestions for all these will be handled through EasyChair to be made available by Mid-February.

Workshops and Round Tables
On Monday August 20th workshops will take place. The workshops are meant to offer a wide perspective on social simulation by means of a “hands-on” approach. The topic of the workshop can be: a) disciplinary (thematic, e.g. sustainability, or methodological, e.g. introduction to Repast); b) career development (e.g. how to succeed publishing in the social simulation domain). Proposals should include the title of the workshop and a 150-word description of the topic.
During the conference roundtable discussions can take place. The aim of roundtables is to present topics and problems currently seen as shaping the nature of the domain. At a round table a pre-constituted panel discusses issues of fairly general scholarly or professional interest in front of (and subsequently with) an audience. Thus, round tables are not sequences of papers, but debate sessions. Proposals should include the title of the round table, a 150-word description of the topic, and the names and affiliations of at least three participants (including the convenor).

Important Dates Workshops and Roundtables
Proposal Deadline: 20th of April
Notification of Acceptance: 7th of May

LIST OF SUGGESTED TOPICS
The conference topics include, but are not limited to, the following list. Unlisted but related topics are also acceptable, provided that they fit in the domain of Social Simulation.

Tools and methods
· Advanced distributed computing, Agent ontologies,
· Agent-embodied artificial intelligence, Participatory and Human-in-the-Loop simulations,
· Approaches of aggregating-disaggregating problems,
· Coupling simulations and optimization methods,
· Data analysis software for simulations,
· Data generating models,
· Experiment design and data farming for simulations,
· Model replication, verification and validation,
· Programming computational frameworks,
· Role playing games and social simulation,
· Simulation metamodels,
· Social simulation and laboratory experiments,
· Socially inspired software applications (peer-to-peer, distributed trust etc.),
· Social simulation and software design,
· Advanced computing technologies (e.g. the grid) and social simulation,
· Statistical and data mining techniques for simulated data,
· Techniques for visualizing, interpreting and analyzing simulation outputs.
· Using qualitative data to inform behavioural rules in social simulation

Applications of Agent-based Modelling
· Agent-based computational economics and finance,
· Archaeology and History,
· Cognitive models and social simulation,
· Coupled human-natural systems,
· Crisis management,
· Demographic change simulation,
· Emergence and evolution of institutions,
· Emergence of social structures and norms,
· Epidemiology and pharmacoeconomics,
· Group decisions and collective behaviors,
· Information and opinion dynamics,
· Innovation diffusion,
· Integrated social/physical modelling for environmental policy,
· Market design, mechanism design & auctions,
· Market dynamics and consumer behaviour,
· Policy issues,
· Privacy, safety and security,
· Public policy and regulatory issues,
· Resource management and environmental practices,
· Resource management, environmental practices & policy,
· Social and regional disparities,
· Social complexity,
· Social conflict and cooperation,
· Social heterogeneity and scaling issues,
· Social media and volunteered information,
· Social networks and their dynamics, Computational organization theory,
· Social-spatial segregation modeling,
· Societal transitions,
· Trust and norm dynamics, reputation.

In addition to posters, papers presentations, workshops, and round tables, SSC 2018 will include:
- PhD Colloquium
- Invited talks
- Competition & Hackathon
- Allocation of awards: Best Paper, Best Student Paper, Best Poster, Best PhD Thesis; “Rosaria Conte” Outstanding Award for Social Simulation
- Social events

Keep an eye on the next ESSA newsletter for more news and details about SSC 2018! If you want to subscribe to this newsletter, send an e-mail to [email protected].
We also can be found on Facebook (SocSimConf2018) and Twitter (@socsim2018).

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Committee Chair:
Harko Verhagen (Stockholm University, Sweden) [email protected]

Committee Members:
Melania Borit (University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway, Norway) [email protected]
Giangiacomo Bravo (Linnæus University, Sweden) [email protected]
Nanda Wijermans (Stockholm Resilience Centre, Sweden) [email protected]