About the ODD Protocol category

The ‘ODD’ (Overview, Design concepts, and Details) protocol was published in 2006 to standardize the published descriptions of individual-based and agent-based models (ABMs). The primary objectives of ODD are to make model descriptions more understandable and complete, thereby making ABMs less subject to criticism for being irreproducible.

ODD is designed to make it easier to write and read ABM descriptions and easier to replicate models, while not being technical. It can include equations and short representations of algorithms, but is based on written text and is intended to be read by humans. It is independent of the hardware and software used to implement the model. ODD consists of seven elements. Conceptually they are divided into the three categories “Overview,” “Design Concepts,” and “Details;” hence the acronym ODD. Each of these categories serves different purposes: giving an overview, explaining how design concepts important for ABMs were used, and explaining all the details of the “machinery” of the model.

Please feel free to post any questions or feedback about the ODD protocol or raise issues for general discussion related to this emerging documentation standard for agent based models. This may include issues related to certification, peer review, limitations, or any other constructive critique.