Abstract for: Guided Documentation of the Modeling Process with Qualitative Data: Using DynamicVu to Support Rigorously Interpreted Quotes

Documenting the modeling process creates a working chain of evidence grounding the model in source data while maintaining an evolutionary record of how the model was developed. Manually documenting the modeling process is burdensome, but when documenting the modeling process is guided by best practice modeling methods built into specialized software based on a purposeful data structure, the burden is greatly reduced, and the benefits multiply. This paper describes a guided best practice for documenting the modeling process built into an online software called DynamicVu. The best practice incorporated into the software and described here is the Rigorously Interpreted Quotations (RIQ) method. An ongoing project is used as an example to describe the benefits and difficulties in detail. This paper describes how these DynamicVu capabilities support the RIQ method making it easier, more efficient, and more repeatable for both expert and amateur. Building the software functionality on top of a standardize database structure designed for documenting the modeling process creates additional opportunities to share data and integrate with other purposeful software systems. The DynamicVu software operationalizes the RIQ method using a standardized database structure, facilitating the recording of important relationships and the sharing of data and results. At a minimum, the process scaffolded in software streamlines the work of experts. A very well-designed software provides sufficient structure and guidance to support good quality work by amateurs. Operationalizing best practices creates process consistency, elevating the quality of work, and demonstrating method repeatability. The example project includes AI processing of qualitative source data