Empirically Based, Agent-based models

There is an increasing drive to combine agent-based models with empirical methods.An overview is provided of the various empirical methods that are used for different kinds of questions.Four categories of empirical approaches are identified in which agent-based models have been empirically tested: case studies, stylized facts, role-playing games, and laboratory experiments.We discuss how these different types of empirical studies can be combined.The various ways empirical techniques are used illustrate the main challenges of contemporary social sciences: (1) how to develop models that are generalizable and still applicable in specific cases, and (2) how to scale up the processes of interactions of a few agents to interactions among many agents.