A catalogue of Do's and Don'ts in the modeling of environmental systems
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Abstract
Modeling plays a vital role in understanding and managing complex environmental systems, but its credibility and quality depend heavily on a comprehensive set of defensible model activities and practices, especially when the system of interest is plagued with uncertainties and conflicting stakeholder perspectives. This paper proposes a catalogue of Do's and Don'ts to guide modelers in addressing the many pertinent considerations through the whole modeling cycle. This practical tool provides advice on approaching modeling effectively through adhering to good modeling practice. It emphasizes model choices that align with the model purpose and context, and the justification and documentation of modeling decisions and assumptions. Managing uncertainty is a core consideration. The identification, assessment and reporting of these uncertainties is important across the entire modeling process, which spans problem framing, technical design, implementation and application phases. Such good practices are critical for transparency and reliability of the modeling.
Suggested Citation
Sun, X., Jakeman, A.J., Hamilton, S.H., Grimm, V., Hunt, R.J., El Sawah, S., Wang, H., Croke, B., and Chen, M., 2026, A catalogue of Do's and Don'ts in the modeling of environmental systems: Environmental Modelling and Software, v. 198, 106893, 13 p., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2026.106893.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | A catalogue of Do's and Don'ts in the modeling of environmental systems |
| Series title | Environmental Modelling and Software |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.envsoft.2026.106893 |
| Volume | 198 |
| Year Published | 2026 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Contributing office(s) | Upper Midwest Water Science Center |
| Description | 106893, 13 p. |