MSc Thesis topics (to be updated)

Research area: Computational Social Simulation, Software Engineering

Prerequisites: Programming in Python (INF-22306) and/or Software Engineering (INF-32306) and/or Agent Based Modelling (INF-50806)

Brief description:
Virtual agents are starting to be used in all kinds of applications, e.g. in industry and in training. Such agents need to understand the social world. The INF group developed a framework (GRASP: Groups, Rituals, Affiliation, Status and Power) for the social intelligence of agents. What is needed is a convincing application.
The first application will be a GRASP version of the existing Playground model. In this model, school children form groups and friendships, or they quarrel, and in so doing they build a network of status and popularity. This version will be built in Netlogo.
The existing playground model has affiliation, status and power but very limited group and ritual features. These will need to be improved.

Reference: Hofstede, G. J., et al. (2015). Gender differences: the role of nature, nurture, social identity and self-organization. Multi-Agent-Based Systems Workshop (MABS) 2014, LNAI 9002. F. Grimaldo and E. Norling, Springer: 72-87.

For more information: Gert Jan Hofstede, Mark Kramer, Sjoukje Osinga.

Research area: Computational Social Simulation, Software Engineering

Prerequisites: Programming in Python (INF-22306) and/or Software Engineering (INF-32306) and/or Agent Based Modelling (INF-50806)

Brief description:
“Too much talent” is the name for the phenomenon that a group can sometimes become less effective when members with more capacities join. This can e.g. happen in football teams, or it could happen in academic groups.

The effect can be modelled by assuming that individuals have self-enhancement ambitions as well as group-enhancing ambitions, and these can be at odds.

The subject involves creating a generic proof-of-principle agent-based model in Netlogo to reflect the ‘too much talent’ issue. The simulation should provide insight into the system properties and parameter values that give rise to it. There are two possible applications to choose from: football teams (based on an existing Netlogo model) where attackers could be in competition and harm the team’s result, and academic work groups where publishing and teaching can be in competition.

For more information: Gert Jan Hofstede, Duur Aanen

Research area/discipline: Software Engineering, Simulation Modelling

Prerequisites: Programming in Python (INF-22306) and/or Software Engineering (INF-32306) and/or Agent Based Modelling (INF-50806) and/or Decision Science II (ORL-30306)

Short description:

In evaluating the quality of simulation models or experimental results, sensitivity analysis plays an important role. This means that one investigates the influence of model parameters on model outcomes in a systematic way.

In this thesis project, sensitivity analysis has to be performed on one or more simulation models (e.g. ABM or DES) or existing outcomes of such models. The project may also lead to a structured protocol for performing sensitivity analysis of future models.

For more information: Mark.Kramer@wur.nl

Research area/discipline: Software Engineering, Simulation Modelling

Prerequisites: Software Engineering (INF-32306) in combination with either Agent Based Modelling (INF-50806) or Decision Science II (ORL-30306)

In a companion thesis project (see above), sensitivity analysis of simulation models is developed. When just one or two models have to analysed, it might be feasible to perform the necessary simulations in an ad hoc way. When similar procedures have to repeated over and over again, it is worthwhile to create software to control the complete process of sensitivity analysis.

This thesis project aims to define software to perform sensitivity analysis of simulation models automatically according to a structured protocol. The project also involves defining an programming interface between the analysis software and the models to be analysed.

For more information: Mark.Kramer@wur.nl

Research area/discipline: Software Engineering, Simulation Modelling

Prerequisites: Programming in Python (INF-22306) and/or Software Engineering (INF-32306) and/or Agent Based Modelling (INF-50806) and/or Decision Science II (ORL-30306)

Short description:

In simulation modelling, we often see outputs that show patterns over time that are hard to capture in one or two numbers. Mathematical techniques for model analysis are not readily applicable in those circumstances.

Instead, we want to classify the different patterns. Then a program can run many simulations and perform statistics over the occurrences of those patterns.

For more information: Mark.Kramer@wur.nl

Research area/discipline: Software Engineering, Simulation Modelling

Prerequisites: Software Engineering (INF-32306)

Short description:

In building simulation models, it is important to use scientific units consistently. There are numerous stories about errors by confusing units, e.g. meters and feet or grams and milligrams.

Many existing systems for unit checking are limited a fixed set of base units (essentially the seven base units of SI). Purely physically, it is no restriction to have only the seven SI dimensions for a base. In practical models, however, users need specialized units that are not easily expressible as combinations of standard units. Moreover, it is not necessary to convert such specialized units to standard units, unless they have to be compared to units already expressed in a standard system.

In previous years, a number of thesis students have investigated the theory of dimensional analysis and designed algorithm prototypes for unit checking.

For real use, a more robust and user friendly implementation is required. It is likely that during design and implementation additional theoretical issues will turn up. So this topic is very suitable for a masters thesis project.

For more information: Mark.Kramer@wur.nl

Research area/discipline: Software Engineering

Prerequisites: Software Engineering (INF-32306) or – for Bachelor Completion – Programming in Python (INF-22306)

Short description:

In many thesis projects software is developed. Sometimes the software is just a by-product of the project. But if the software has to be used and/or modified by others after the project, special care should be taken in the development process. In such cases it is a good idea to involve the Information Technology Group in the thesis project.

For more information: Mark.Kramer@wur.nl (potentially co-supervising with application stakeholder)

Research area/discipline: (Agent) Simulation Modelling

Prerequisites: Agent-based modelling of complex adaptive systems (INF-50806)

Links with existing research: A submitted STW research proposal

Short description:

Inappropriate or too much antibiotic use in livestock farming can lead to resistant bacteria that contribute to an alarming health risk for society, causing societal commotion and extra costs. Regulated by law, the main responsibility for antibiotics use lies since 2013 with farmer and veterinarian. Current compliance strategies do not take into account that the farmers and veterinarians are a heterogeneous group with many individual differences, who make autonomous decisions, but who are also influenced by each other’s decisions.

Thesis project: compare effectiveness of strategies on a fixed population

Using agent-based simulation, a thesis project can be to compare the effectiveness of compliance strategies. Possible strategies can be aimed at: enforcement by governmental agencies; education and training of farmers and veterinarians; peer influence among farmers and veterinarians; social influence from the general public.

Thesis project: compare populations with a fixed strategy

Using agent-based modelling, a thesis project can be to vary (social) attributes of the population of farmers and/or veterinarians. These properties can be: farm characteristics; management style and attitudes; personal characteristics (e.g. inclination to be compliant; status; power).

Thesis project:  compare farmers’ decision behaviour

Using agent-based modelling, a thesis project can be to compare farmers’ decision-making behaviour with respect to compliance. Two extremes are (1) the rationalist, taking his own decision, not influenced by others, and (2) the imitator, who bases his decision exclusively on what others do. Most farmers will be somewhere in between.

Thesis project: compare veterinarians’ attitudes

Using agent-based modelling, a thesis project can be to compare veterinarians’ attitudes with respect to compliance. Vets can only prescribe anti-biotics medication to farmers if they deem this appropriate, and they also need to register their antibiotics prescriptions. Some vets may be more inclined to prescribe than others.

Thesis project: sensitivity analysis

In conjunction / following one of the other projects: once a model is ready, it takes a lot of time to run it and test how various parameters respond to each other; how sensible the model is to changes; how to present meaningful output from all these runs.

 

For more information: Sjoukje.Osinga@wur.nl

Research area/discipline: (Agent) Simulation Modelling

Prerequisites: Agent-based modelling of complex adaptive systems (INF-50806)

Links with existing research: completed PhD research

Short description:

In an existing agent-based model, information goes round in a farmer population, based on which they make decisions. Information is exchanged between agents. The information itself has multiple aspects: its id, its type (what category of information) and its value  (how important is this information for its current owner?).

Thesis Project: Does it matter whom it comes from?

We would like to extend this model with another attribute: importance. Who does the information come from? If it is from a respected, successful farmer, the information may be more important than if it is from an unimportant farmer. The importance of the information also affects the decision-making itself (how?)

Thesis Project: How can group membership affect behaviour?

We would like to extend the model in a social direction. We  divide agents over groups and let agents’ behaviour depend more on behaviour of members of their group. Or: information is exchanged differently between ‘group members’ or between members of two different groups. Behaving according to norms could be part of this group behaviour.

Thesis project: sensitivity analysis

In conjunction / following one of the other projects: once a model is ready, it takes a lot of time to run it and test how various parameters respond to each other; how sensible the model is to changes; how to present meaningful output from all these runs.

 

For more information: Sjoukje.Osinga@wur.nl

Research area/discipline: Any information technology research area

Prerequisites: Applied Information Systems / Toegepaste Informatiekunde (INF-20806)

Links with existing research: none, so you need to be highly motivated to build this up.

Short description:

If you have a research idea with respect to topics that relate to the INF20806 course, you can propose it and we can see what we can work out.

Examples:
-          Launch a new product or concept; build a prototype website for it and test the product’s / concept’s acceptance among possible consumers.
-          Collect web traffic data and see what you can analyse / deduce from it. (You will need to find these data yourself, so a connection with a third party is helpful).
-          Analyze a business process and see how it can be improved with ICT (You will need to find a cooperating business yourself, so a connection with a third party is helpful).
For more information: Sjoukje.Osinga@wur.nl

Research area/discipline: Software Engineering

Prerequisites: Software Engineering (INF-32306), Programming in Python (INF-22306)

Short description:
Precision agriculture (PA) or satellite farming is a farming management concept based on observing, measuring and responding to inter and intra-field variability in crops. Crop variability typically has both a spatial and temporal component which makes statistical/computational treatments quite involved. Smart systems incorporate functions of sensing, actuation, and control in order to describe and analyze a situation, and make decisions based on the available data in a predictive or adaptive manner, thereby performing smart actions.

While smart farming provides many new opportunities designing and engineering them is not trivial. In this project you will first carry out a stakeholder analysis for developing smart farming systems. Subsequently you will analyze software architecture design and modeling approaches and principles and apply this to the design of smart farming. In particular you will derive different software architecture views reflecting different perspectives of smart farming systems. The result of the project is a software architecture design for smart farming that is aligned to the identified stakeholder concerns.

For more information: Bedir.Tekinerdogan@wur.nl

Research area/discipline: Software Engineering

Prerequisites: Software Engineering (INF-32306), Programming in Python (INF-22306)

Short description:
A supply chain is defined as a system consisting of organizations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. Supply chain activities transform natural resources, raw materials, and components into a finished product that is delivered to the end customer. Due to the increased global competition many companies are forced to improve their efficiency of the supply chain using systematic supply chain management (SCM) approaches. The underlying idea for SMC is based on the observation that practically every product that reaches an end user represents the cumulative effort of multiple organizations defining the supply chain. Supply chain management, as such, is the active management of supply chain activities to maximize customer value and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. SCM activities typically include the management of the flow of materials, information, and finances in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Further, SCM involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies. 

To provide an effective SCM it is important to develop the appropriate software architecture for it. In this project you will first to a stakeholder analysis for developing SCMs. Subsequently you will analyze software architecture design and modeling approaches and principles and apply this to the design of SCM. In particular you will derive different software architecture views for SCM systems. The result of the project is a software architecture design for SCM that is aligned to the identified stakeholder concerns.

For more information: Bedir.Tekinerdogan@wur.nl

Research area/discipline: Software Engineering

Prerequisites: Software Engineering (INF-32306), Programming in Python (INF-22306)

Short description:
Precision agriculture (PA) or satellite farming is a farming management concept based on observing, measuring and responding to inter and intra-field variability in crops. Crop variability typically has both a spatial and temporal component which makes statistical/computational treatments quite involved. An important aspect of precision agriculture research focuses on defining a Decision Support System (DSS) for whole farm management with the goal of optimizing returns on inputs while preserving resources. A Decision Support System (DSS) is a computer-based information system that supports business or organizational decision-making activities. DSSs serve the management, operations, and planning levels of an organization (usually mid and higher management) and help to make decisions, which may be rapidly changing and not easily specified in advance (Unstructured and Semi-Structured decision problems). Decision support systems can be either fully computerized, human or a combination of both.

In this project you will first carry out a domain analysis to smart farming and define a common domain model that includes the key aspects and the related rules for decision support in smart farming system. Subsequently you will first design the DSS and integrate the identified decision support rules in the DSS. The result of the project will be an executable DSS for smart farming. 

For more information: Bedir.Tekinerdogan@wur.nl

Research area/discipline: Software Engineering

Prerequisites: Software Engineering (INF-32306), Programming in Python (INF-22306)

Short description:
A supply chain is defined as a system consisting of organizations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. Supply chain activities transform natural resources, raw materials, and components into a finished product that is delivered to the end customer. Due to the increased global competition many companies are forced to improve their efficiency of the supply chain using systematic supply chain management (SCM) approaches. The underlying idea for SMC is based on the observation that practically every product that reaches an end user represents the cumulative effort of multiple organizations defining the supply chain. Supply chain management, as such, is the active management of supply chain activities to maximize customer value and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. SCM activities typically include the management of the flow of materials, information, and finances in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Further, SCM involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies. 

Various different SCM systems can be identified each with their own benefits. In this project you will define a variability model that represents the common and variant features of SCMs. For this you will apply the so-called feature-oriented design approach that is frequently used in the software product line engineering domain to represent a product family. The feature model as such defines both a view on the domain and are used as an input for the SCM architecture. The project will result in a family feature model that can be used to describe various SCMs.

For more information: Bedir.Tekinerdogan@wur.nl