Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
A very simplistic and pragmatic definition for reference models is
given by Modi et al.: 'Any generic model that has specific examples
can be considered to be a reference model' [91]. They continue by
stating that reference models provide patterns for solving specific
problems instead of prescribing how functions and systems should
be implemented. According to Modi et al. the purpose of reference
models is 'to enable others to practice their discipline with a solid
foundation' [91]. Within this thesis the term
reference model
is defined
according to Thomas [130, 129]:
Definition 11 (Reference model)
A
reference model
is a model
used for supporting the construction of other models.
Sometimes the term
meta model
is used synonymously. Within this
thesis only the term
reference model
is used.
Reference models have a lot in common with standardization activ-
ities. They create a common understanding of terms and concepts,
help to clarify (or even define) the semantics of systems and increase
comparability among models defined or documented this way. The
applicability of a reference model is determined by the number of
problems for which it may be used [115]. Of course, universality
of a reference model depends crucially on the degrees of freedom
a model developer has for adapting a reference model to problem-
specific needs. Common major aims for using reference models are
to reduce the complexity of a modeling task at hand and to simplify
development processes. In general, a reduction of efforts in time and
cost is expected, although well-founded field reports are not available.
5.3 Requirements for a reference model
Based on the survey of existing approaches for specifying agent-based
models and their simulation (see Chapter 2.3) and the goals of this
thesis, this section summarizes the main requirements for a reference
model for agent-based modeling and simulation.
