Skip to navigation Skip to content

Doug Salt

Staff picture: Doug Salt
Information and Computational Sciences
Information and Computational Sciences
Scientific Computing Specialist
doug.salt@hutton.ac.uk
+44 (0)344 928 5428 (*)

The James Hutton Institute
Craigiebuckler
Aberdeen AB15 8QH
Scotland UK

 

Doug Salt did a degree in Mathematical and Computing Sciences during working as a professional software developer and engineer in mostly financial computing for about 25 years. He then subsequently earned a PhD in Information Theory, particularly with regards to the theory of databases.  Since 2016 he has been working at the Institute on knowledge engineering and  agent-based modelling of human-natural systems, and has worked on various international and interdisciplinary projects using agent-based modelling to study agricultural systems, lifestyles, and transitions to more sustainable ways of living.

 

Current research interests

I specialise in agent-based modelling of socio-environmental systems, and rigorous approaches to their design and interpretation. Agent-based modelling involves explicit representation of individuals and their interactions, observing the emergent effects these have on the dynamics of the system. I am particularly interested in options for managing environmental change in coupled human-natural systems through incentive schemes, but in the context of other drivers of human behaviour. I have worked on agent-based modelling of lifestyles, pro-environmental behaviours and transitions to more sustainable ways of living, and current work continues this and is also examining value chains and resilience in Scottish rural systems.

A key issue in developing models of this kind is transparency, and I am interested in the role of formal ontologies in describing and annotating simulation models and experiments.

Past research

I have been involved the international and inter- and transdisciplinary research project, listed below

  • The GLAMURS (Green Lifestyles, Alternative Models and Up-scaling Regional Sustainability) project (2014-2016) was funded by the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme.

 

Bibliography

  • Colley, K.; Craig, T.; Scholz, G.; Hague, A.; Wilson, R.; Polhill, G.; Salt, D.; Somervail, P.; Nazli Koseoglu, M.; Wooldridge, T. (2022) The role of individuals and households in the transition to a circular economy a social simulation approach, International Association of People-Environment Studies (IAPS) 2022 conference, online
  • Polhill, J.G.; Hare, M.P.; Bauermann, T.; Anzola, D.; Palmer, E.; Salt, D.; Antosz, P. (2021) Using agent-based models for prediction in complex and wicked systems., Journal of Artificial Societies and Soicial Simulation, 24, Article No. 2.
  • Cohen, J.J.; Azarova, V.; Klöckner, C.A.; Kollmann, A.; Löfström, E.; Pellegrini-Masini, G.; Polhill, J.G.; Reichl, J.; Salt, D. (2021) Tackling the challenge of interdisciplinary energy research: A research toolkit., Energy Research and Social Sciences, 74, Article No. 101966.
  • Salt, D.; Polhill, G.; Craig, T.; Wilson, R.; Colley, K.; Pinker, A.; Scalco, A.; Muhammad, M.; (2021) Modelling coconstructed scnearios of district heat network adoption in Aberdeen, Social Simulation Conference 2021, Online, 20-24 September 2021
  • Polhill, J.G.; Salt, D.; Craig. T.; Wilson, R.; Colley, K. (2021) Sensitivity analysis of an empirical agent-based model of district heating network adoption., International Work Conference on Artificial Neural Networks, Online, 16-18 June 2021.
  • Dumitru, A.; Lema Blanco, I.; Albulescu, P.; Antosz, P.; Bouman, L.; Colley, K.; Craig, T.; Jager, W.; Macsinga, I.; Meskovic, E.; Mischkowski, N.; Pellegrini Masini, G.; Polhill, G.; Quinti, G.; Salt, D.; Somervail, P.; Wilson, R.; (2021) Policy recommendations for each cluster of casestudies Insights from policy scenario workshops, SMARTEES Deliverable 5.2. https://local-social-innovation.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Deliverables/D5.2_final__1_.pdf
  • Pellegrini-Masini, G.; Albulescu, P.; Jager, W.; Löfström, E.; Macsinga, I.; Alonso-Betanzos, A.; Bouman, L.; Guijarro-Berdiñas, B.; Polhill, G.; Rodríguez-Arias, A.; Salt, D.; Sánchez-Maroño, N.; (2021) Report on the updated theoretical framework for social innovation diffusion, SMARTEES Deliverable 6.2. https://local-social-innovation.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Deliverables/SMARTEES-D6.2_theoretical_development_R1.pdf
  • Bouman, L.; Antosz, P.; Jager, W.; Polhill, G.; Salt, D.; Scalco, A.; Alonso-Betanzos, A.; Sánchez-Maroño, N.; Guijarro-Berdiñas, B.; Rodríguez-Arias, A.; (2021) Report on scenario development and experiments for selected cases, SMARTEES: Updated Deliverable 7.4 (Final Report).
  • Antosz, P.; Jager, W.; Polhill, J.G.; Salt, D. (2021) Informing agent-based models of social innovation uptake., Advances in Computational Intelligence. 16th International Work-Conference on Artificial Neural Networks, IWANN 2021, Virtual Event, June 16-18, 2021, Proceedings, Part II. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol 12862), 105-117
  • Polhill, J.G.; Salt, D.; Craig, T.; Wilson, R.; Colley, K. (2021) Sensitivity analysis of an empirical agent-based model of district heating network adoption., Advances in Computational Intelligence. 16th International Work-Conference on Artificial Neural Networks, IWANN 2021, Virtual Event, June 16-18, 2021, Proceedings, Part II. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol 12862), 118-127.
  • Salt, D.A.; Polhill, J.G (2021) A NetLogo extension to secure data using GNUs Pretty Good Privacy Software Suite., In: Ahrweiler P. & Neumann M. (eds). Advances in Social Simulation. ESSA 2019. Springer Proceedings in Complexity. Springer, Cham, pp229-312.
  • Antosz, P.; Jager, W.; Polhill, J.G.; Salt, D.; Scalco, A.; Alonso-Betanzos, A.; Sánchez-Maroño, N.; Guijarro-Berdiñas, B.; Rodríguez, A. (2020) SMARTEES simulation implementations for selected cases., SMARTEES Deliverable 7.3 (Report) , December 2020, 124pp.
  • Polhill, J.G.; Ge, J.; Hare, M.; Matthews, K.B.; Gimona, A.; Salt, D.; Yeluripati, J. (2019) Crossing the chasm: A ‘tube-map’ for agent-based social simulation of policy scenarios in spatially-distributed systems., Geoinformatica, 23, 169-199.
  • Salt, D.; Polhill, J.G. (2019) A NetLogo plug-in to secure data using GNUs pretty good privacy software suite., Social Simulation Conference (SSC 2019), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany, 23-27 September 2019.
  • Polhill, J.G.; Hare, M.; Anzola, D.; Bauermann, T.; French, T.; Post, H.; Perello Moragues, T.; Salt, D. (2019) Using ABMs for prediction: Two thought experiments and a workshop., Social Simulation Conference 2019 (SSC2019), Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet, Mainz, Germany, 23-27 September 2019.
  • Salt, D.A.; Polhill, J.G. (2018) Building NetLogo models from ontologies as a first step to model integration., Social Simulation Conference (SSC) 2018, Stockholm, Sweden, 20-24 August 2018, 12 pp.
  • Polhill, J.G.; Craig, T.; Colley, K.; Ge, J.; Sat, D. (2018) The SMARTEES Project and The James Hutton Institute’s potential contribution to the Torry Heat Network project., Appendix 10.4 in support of Torry Heat Network, Report to be presented to Aberdeen City Council.
  • Salt, D.; Polhill, J.G.; Barbet, V.; Wang, Y. (2017) Formalizing Callon's theory of translation., Proceedings of SSC 2017-ESSA@work, Dublin, 25-29 September 2017. Afternoon Session Norms-GM, 27 September 2017.
  • Polhill, J.G.; Salt, D. (2017) The importance of ontological structure: why validation by ‘fit-to-data’ is insufficient., In: Edmonds, B. & Meyer, R. (eds.) Simulating Social Complexity: A Handbook. 2nd edition. Springer, 141-172.
  • Polhill, J.G.; Salt, D. (2016) Metrics of complexity from FEARLUS-SPOMM runs., CSoS Workshop, Hotel de Nieuwe Wereld, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 21-22 April 2016.
  • Salt, D.; Polhill, J.G.; Craig, T. (2016) Deliverable 2.2: Report on the ontology generation and data and knowledge integration., Green Lifestyles Alternative Models and Up-scaling Regional Sustainability / GLAMURS EU SSH.2013.2.1-1 Grant Agreement No. 613420.
  • Salt, D.; Polhill, J.G.; Craig, T. (2016) Deliverable 2., Report for Glamurs Ontology Project.

  • Dumitru, A.; Lema Blanco, I.; Albulescu, P.; Antosz, P.; Bouman, L.; Colley, K.; Craig, T.; Jager, W.; Macsinga, I.; Meskovic, E.; Mischkowski, N.; Pellegrini Masini, G.; Polhill, G.; Quinti, G.; Salt, D.; Somervail, P.; Wilson, R.; (2021) Policy recommendations for each cluster of casestudies Insights from policy scenario workshops, SMARTEES Deliverable 5.2. https://local-social-innovation.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Deliverables/D5.2_final__1_.pdf
  • Pellegrini-Masini, G.; Albulescu, P.; Jager, W.; Löfström, E.; Macsinga, I.; Alonso-Betanzos, A.; Bouman, L.; Guijarro-Berdiñas, B.; Polhill, G.; Rodríguez-Arias, A.; Salt, D.; Sánchez-Maroño, N.; (2021) Report on the updated theoretical framework for social innovation diffusion, SMARTEES Deliverable 6.2. https://local-social-innovation.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Deliverables/SMARTEES-D6.2_theoretical_development_R1.pdf
  • Bouman, L.; Antosz, P.; Jager, W.; Polhill, G.; Salt, D.; Scalco, A.; Alonso-Betanzos, A.; Sánchez-Maroño, N.; Guijarro-Berdiñas, B.; Rodríguez-Arias, A.; (2021) Report on scenario development and experiments for selected cases, SMARTEES: Updated Deliverable 7.4 (Final Report).
  • Antosz, P.; Jager, W.; Polhill, J.G.; Salt, D.; Scalco, A.; Alonso-Betanzos, A.; Sánchez-Maroño, N.; Guijarro-Berdiñas, B.; Rodríguez, A. (2020) SMARTEES simulation implementations for selected cases., SMARTEES Deliverable 7.3 (Report) , December 2020, 124pp.
  • Polhill, J.G.; Craig, T.; Colley, K.; Ge, J.; Sat, D. (2018) The SMARTEES Project and The James Hutton Institute’s potential contribution to the Torry Heat Network project., Appendix 10.4 in support of Torry Heat Network, Report to be presented to Aberdeen City Council.
  • Salt, D.; Polhill, J.G.; Craig, T. (2016) Deliverable 2.2: Report on the ontology generation and data and knowledge integration., Green Lifestyles Alternative Models and Up-scaling Regional Sustainability / GLAMURS EU SSH.2013.2.1-1 Grant Agreement No. 613420.
  • Salt, D.; Polhill, J.G.; Craig, T. (2016) Deliverable 2., Report for Glamurs Ontology Project.

  • Colley, K.; Craig, T.; Scholz, G.; Hague, A.; Wilson, R.; Polhill, G.; Salt, D.; Somervail, P.; Nazli Koseoglu, M.; Wooldridge, T. (2022) The role of individuals and households in the transition to a circular economy a social simulation approach, International Association of People-Environment Studies (IAPS) 2022 conference, online
  • Salt, D.; Polhill, G.; Craig, T.; Wilson, R.; Colley, K.; Pinker, A.; Scalco, A.; Muhammad, M.; (2021) Modelling coconstructed scnearios of district heat network adoption in Aberdeen, Social Simulation Conference 2021, Online, 20-24 September 2021
  • Polhill, J.G.; Salt, D.; Craig. T.; Wilson, R.; Colley, K. (2021) Sensitivity analysis of an empirical agent-based model of district heating network adoption., International Work Conference on Artificial Neural Networks, Online, 16-18 June 2021.
  • Salt, D.; Polhill, J.G. (2019) A NetLogo plug-in to secure data using GNUs pretty good privacy software suite., Social Simulation Conference (SSC 2019), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany, 23-27 September 2019.
  • Polhill, J.G.; Hare, M.; Anzola, D.; Bauermann, T.; French, T.; Post, H.; Perello Moragues, T.; Salt, D. (2019) Using ABMs for prediction: Two thought experiments and a workshop., Social Simulation Conference 2019 (SSC2019), Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet, Mainz, Germany, 23-27 September 2019.
  • Salt, D.A.; Polhill, J.G. (2018) Building NetLogo models from ontologies as a first step to model integration., Social Simulation Conference (SSC) 2018, Stockholm, Sweden, 20-24 August 2018, 12 pp.
  • Salt, D.; Polhill, J.G.; Barbet, V.; Wang, Y. (2017) Formalizing Callon's theory of translation., Proceedings of SSC 2017-ESSA@work, Dublin, 25-29 September 2017. Afternoon Session Norms-GM, 27 September 2017.
  • Polhill, J.G.; Salt, D. (2016) Metrics of complexity from FEARLUS-SPOMM runs., CSoS Workshop, Hotel de Nieuwe Wereld, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 21-22 April 2016.

Printed from /staff/doug-salt on 08/12/22 10:27:02 PM

The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.