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Agent-based computing from multi-agent systems to agent-based models: a visual survey

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Abstract

Agent-based computing is a diverse research domain concerned with the building of intelligent software based on the concept of “agents”. In this paper, we use Scientometric analysis to analyze all sub-domains of agent-based computing. Our data consists of 1,064 journal articles indexed in the ISI web of knowledge published during a 20 year period: 1990–2010. These were retrieved using a topic search with various keywords commonly used in sub-domains of agent-based computing. In our proposed approach, we have employed a combination of two applications for analysis, namely Network Workbench and CiteSpace—wherein Network Workbench allowed for the analysis of complex network aspects of the domain, detailed visualization-based analysis of the bibliographic data was performed using CiteSpace. Our results include the identification of the largest cluster based on keywords, the timeline of publication of index terms, the core journals and key subject categories. We also identify the core authors, top countries of origin of the manuscripts along with core research institutes. Finally, our results have interestingly revealed the strong presence of agent-based computing in a number of non-computing related scientific domains including Life Sciences, Ecological Sciences and Social Sciences.

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Notes

  1. It is pertinent to note here that we faced one peculiar problem in the analysis of the retrieved ISI data. The Web of Science data identified a Journal named “Individual-based model”. However extensive searches online did not find any such journal.

  2. ISI data extracted using CiteSpace does not differentiate further as to which exact campus of the University of Illinois is considered here (of the primarily three campuses i.e. UIUC, UIC, UIS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of IT, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Muaz Niazi

  2. Institute of Computing Science and Mathematics, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK

    Muaz Niazi & Amir Hussain

Authors
  1. Muaz Niazi
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  2. Amir Hussain
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Correspondence to Muaz Niazi.

Appendix 1: Details of search keywords

Appendix 1: Details of search keywords

Here we would like to mention the keywords used for searching the ISI web of knowledge in addition to the reasoning behind the selection. Arguably there are numerous ways to classify sub-domains based on keywords. In this particular case, some of the keywords were shared with Chemical and Biological journals (e.g. Where the word agent is used for Biological and chemical agents). As such, we had to limit the search to papers with a focus on either agent-based modeling specifically or else in the domain of multiagent systems.

The search was thus performed on titles and the exact search from the ISI web of knowledge was as following:

  • Title = (agent-based OR individual-based OR multi-agent OR multiagent OR ABM*) AND Title = (model* OR simulat*).

  • Timespan = All Years. Databases = SCI-EXPANDED, SSCI, A&HCI, CPCI-S.

  • Date retrieved: 8th September 2010 (1,064 records).

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Niazi, M., Hussain, A. Agent-based computing from multi-agent systems to agent-based models: a visual survey. Scientometrics 89, 479–499 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-011-0468-9

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