Why should sociology use agent based modelling?

Leicester Sociologist Edmund Chattoe-Brown has just published an article in the journal Sociological Research Online entitled 'Why Sociology Should Use Agent Based Modelling'. The paper shows how this novel approach to theory building can make a contribution to major sociological issues (like integrating qualitative and quantitative data and dealing with the challenge of the micro-macro link) and that many reservations about the sociological applicability of the approach are based on misunderstandings of its distinctive methodology. [Click on this link for online access via publisher]