ODD protocol: updated version, new guidance

A new article about the ODD protocol for describing agent-based models, previously announced in this forum, has now been published:

It does include one update: “1. Purpose” changed to “1. Purpose and patterns” and there is a new comprehensive guide to writing ODDs in Supplement S1. Further supplements assist in writing summary ODDs, delta ODDs, nested ODDs, licensing ODDs, examples of TRACE documents, and suggestions for standardizing also the description of simulation experiments.

This update was written by 19 authors from ecology and social sciences. We hope it will make it easier to use ODD, make its use more coherent, and help to link model design more closely to the criteria (“patterns”) we use to claim that our models are realistic enough for their purpose.

Many thanks to all ODD users and their feedback, as well as to Flaminio Squazzoni for his advice and his support in publishing our article in JASSS.

Volker