TY  - JOUR
A1  - Grimm, Volker
A1  - Berger, Uta
A1  - Bastiansen, Finn
A1  - Eliassen, Sigrunn
A1  - Ginot, Vincent
A1  - Giske, Jarl
A1  - Goss-Custard, John
A1  - Grand, Tamara
A1  - Heinz, Simone K.
A1  - Huse, Geir
A1  - Huth, Andreas
A1  - Jepsen, Jane U.
A1  - Jorgensen, Christian
A1  - Mooij, Wolf M.
A1  - Mueller, Birgit
A1  - Piou, Cyril
A1  - Railsback, Steven Floyd
A1  - Robbins, Andrew M.
A1  - Robbins, Martha M.
A1  - Rossmanith, Eva
A1  - Rueger, Nadja
A1  - Strand, Espen
A1  - Souissi, Sami
A1  - Stillman, Richard A.
A1  - Vabo, Rune
A1  - Visser, Ute
A1  - DeAngelis, Donald L.
T1  - A standard protocol for describing individual-based and agent-based models
JF  - Ecological modelling : international journal on ecological modelling and engineering and systems ecolog
N2  - Simulation models that describe autonomous individual organisms (individual based models, IBM) or agents (agent-based models, ABM) have become a widely used tool, not only in ecology, but also in many other disciplines dealing with complex systems made up of autonomous entities. However, there is no standard protocol for describing such simulation models, which can make them difficult to understand and to duplicate. This paper presents a proposed standard protocol, ODD, for describing IBMs and ABMs, developed and tested by 28 modellers who cover a wide range of fields within ecology. This protocol consists of three blocks (Overview, Design concepts, and Details), which are subdivided into seven elements: Purpose, State variables and scales, Process overview and scheduling, Design concepts, Initialization, Input, and Submodels. We explain which aspects of a model should be described in each element, and we present an example to illustrate the protocol in use. In addition, 19 examples are available in an Online Appendix. We consider ODD as a first step for establishing a more detailed common format of the description of IBMs and ABMs. Once initiated, the protocol will hopefully evolve as it becomes used by a sufficiently large proportion of modellers. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
KW  - individual-based model
KW  - agent-based model
KW  - model description
KW  - scientific communication
KW  - standardization
Y1  - 2006
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2006.04.023
SN  - 0304-3800
VL  - 198
SP  - 115
EP  - 126
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Stillman, Richard A.
A1  - Railsback, Steven Floyd
A1  - Giske, Jarl
A1  - Berger, Uta
A1  - Grimm, Volker
T1  - Making Predictions in a Changing World: The Benefits of Individual-Based Ecology
JF  - Bioscience
N2  - Ecologists urgently need a better ability to predict how environmental change affects biodiversity. We examine individual-based ecology (IBE), a research paradigm that promises better a predictive ability by using individual-based models (IBMs) to represent ecological dynamics as arising from how individuals interact with their environment and with each other. A key advantage of IBMs is that the basis for predictions-fitness maximization by individual organisms-is more general and reliable than the empirical relationships that other models depend on. Case studies illustrate the usefulness and predictive success of long-term IBE programs. The pioneering programs had three phases: conceptualization, implementation, and diversification. Continued validation of models runs throughout these phases. The breakthroughs that make IBE more productive include standards for describing and validating IBMs, improved and standardized theory for individual traits and behavior, software tools, and generalized instead of system-specific IBMs. We provide guidelines for pursuing IBE and a vision for future IBE research.
KW  - ecology
KW  - fitness-maximization
KW  - individual-based
KW  - modeling
KW  - prediction
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biu192
SN  - 0006-3568
SN  - 1525-3244
VL  - 65
IS  - 2
SP  - 140
EP  - 150
PB  - Oxford Univ. Press
CY  - Oxford
ER  -