Abstract for: System Dynamics Model Documentation and Assessment Tool (SDM-Doc)

To help modelers increase the transparency of their models through enhanced documentation, scientists at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), building on model documentation work by Oliva (2001), developed the System Dynamics Model Documentation and Assessment Tool (SDM-Doc) that enables modelers to create practical, efficient, HTML-based model documentation and provide customizable model assessments. The model documentation created by the SDM-Doc tool allows modelers to navigate through model equations and model views in an efficient and practical way creating documentation of the model sorted by variable name, type of variable, group, view, module, module/group/name, and variable of interest. Additionally, model tests are performed allowing modelers and reviewers of models to gain confidence in fundamental characteristics of model structure. The latest version of the tool, its use, and the different model assessments included in it will be presented and explained. Participants are encouraged to bring their laptops to be able to use the tool during the workshop. A copy of the software will be distributed to participants at the workshop (the tool is accessible at http://tools.systemdynamics.org/sdm-doc/).