Writing a Modeling Report

The writing of a modeling report is extremely critical because it represents to a reviewer the process of model development and allows a reviewer to critique and adequately evaluate a reported model. Good documentation is the basis for model credibility. A model that is poorly documented will have poor credibility. As McLeod (1982) states, adequate and timely documentation is needed to  

As most know, documentation is often done as an after thought once the modeling process is completed. This is unfortunate because by then the analyst must go back and review what was done and the exact reason why one path was chosen over another may not be clear at the time of writing. Good documentation should begin at the beginning and continue until the project is complete. 

Both AJP and ABE suggest that any mathematical details be written for the non-mathematician. All models should include a discussion of the model development strategy, the assumptions, and a summary of the meaning of the model (in this case a generic term for any model or equation) and its limitations. All parameter estimates should be presented with the precision of 

Yates (1999), an editor of the American Journal of Physiology, also suggests that modeling papers contain the following characteristics  

References Wastney, Wang, and Boston (1998), American Journal of Physiology, Instructions to Authors (http //www.the-aps.org/publications/journals/pub -quick.htm), the Annals of Biomedical Engineering (http //www.ruf.rice. edu/ -abme/inslrucl. html), and the Food and Drug Administration (United States Department of Health and Human Services et al., 2003). 

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