## Technical Exchange on Complex Social Systems (TECSS) ## ---------- **Supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency through the Next Generation Social Science (NGS2) program and hosted by the Center for Open Science** ---------- #### Purpose ### 1. Identify current or historical vs. fundamental limitations – practical, theoretical, technological, ethical, and others – to understanding and predicting complex social systems, and quantitatively and qualitatively characterize the source(s) of those limitations. 2. Describe practical, but high-risk and high-reward opportunities to manage, reduce, or eliminate limitations and develop potential high-impact solutions. <br> <br> #### Activities ### 1. **Prepare a Literature Review** to provide background materials on the current understanding of the landscape and limits of social science research by focusing on **[5 main questions][1]** <br> 2. **Host a two-day Technical Exchange** in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA on August 28th and 29th, 2018 where participants will divide into five focus groups based on the five questions discussed and consider multiple dimensions for each topic including: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- Description, prediction, explanation, and control such that optimal strategies and policies can be adopted &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- Level of analysis (individuals, groups, systems, cultures) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- Practical versus theoretical limits &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- Ethical limits <br> 3. **Focus Groups will author papers** to translate theoretical and practical limits of research on complex social systems into specific opportunities and solutions. These papers should seek to answer the Heilmeier Catechism and will include descriptions of the necessary technological investments, risks of the approach, and overall magnitude of impact of each approach towards the upper limit of what is practically achievable. <br> 4. **Papers will be posted as preprints** to solicit feedback from the broader community. <br> 5. **Final papers will then be submitted for publication**, potentially as a special issue or series. [1]: https://osf.io/re5vt/wiki/Focus%20Group%20Questions/