Scientific modelling is the process of generating abstract or conceptual models. Science offers a growing collection of methods, techniques and theory about all kinds of specialized scientific modelling. Some general theory about scientific modelling is offered by the philosophy of science, the systems theory and new fields like knowledge visualization. An abstract model (or conceptual model) is a theoretical construct that represents physical, biological or social processes, with a set of variables and a set of logical and quantitative relationships between them. ... Scientific method is a body of techniques for investigating phenomena and acquiring new knowledge, as well as for correcting and integrating previous knowledge. ... Look up Technique in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The word theory has a number of distinct meanings in different fields of knowledge, depending on their methodologies and the context of discussion. ... Model may refer to more than one thing : For models in society, art, fashion, and cosmetics, see; role model model (person) supermodel figure drawing modeling section In science and technology, a model (abstract) is understood as an abstract or theoretical representation of a phenomenon,see; geologic modeling model (economics) model... Philosophy of science is the study of assumptions, foundations, and implications of science, especially in the natural sciences and social sciences. ... Systems theory is a transdisciplinary/multiperspectual scientific domain that seeks to derive and formulate those principles that are isomorphic to all fields of scientific inquiry. ... Knowledge Visualization is a sub discipline of Information Design and Instructional Message Design (pedagogy; didactics, pedagogical psychology). ...

The process of generating a model

Modelling refers to the process of generating a model as a conceptual representation of some phenomenon. Typically a model will refer only to some aspects of the phenomenon in question, and two models of the same phenomenon may be essentially different, that is in which the difference is more than just a simple renaming. This may be due to differing requirements of the model's end users or to conceptual or esthetic differences by the modellers and decisions made during the modelling process. Esthetic considerations that may influence the structure of a model might be the modeller's preference for a reduced ontology, preferences regarding probabilistic models vis-a-vis deterministic ones, discrete vs continuous time etc. For this reason users of a model need to understand the model's original purpose and the assumptions of its validity. Models are basically known to generate creativity from chaos. An abstract model (or conceptual model) is a theoretical construct that represents physical, biological or social processes, with a set of variables and a set of logical and quantitative relationships between them. ... It is generally agreed that people know and understand the world and reality through the act of naming it; thus, through language and representations (Oxford English Dictionary, cited in Vukcevich 2002). ... Look up Structure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The process of evaluating a model

A model is evaluated using a utility function to yield estimates of several values: This article is about utility in economics and in game theory. ...

• Ability to explain past observations
• Ability to predict future observations
• Ability to control events
• Cost of use, especially in combination with other models
• Refutability, enabling estimation of the degree of confidence in the model
• Simplicity, or even esthetic appeal

Specialized forms of scientific modelling

• Business process modelling
• Cartography
• Climate modelling
• Data modelling
• Ecological modelling
• Economical modelling
• Environmental modelling
• Futures studies
• Geologic modelling
• Graphical modelling
• Hydrography
• Hydrological modelling
• Hydrogeological modelling
• Mathematical modelling
• Medical modelling
• Modelling in Epidemiology
• Molecular modelling
• Morphological Modelling
• Ocean modelling
• Policy modelling
• Simulation
• Software modelling
• Statistical modelling
• Stochastical modelling
• System dynamics
• Thought experiment
• Traffic and Transport modelling

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Process Modeling. ... Cartography or mapmaking (in Greek chartis = map and graphein = write) is the study, practice, science and art of making maps or globes. ... Climatology is the study of climate, scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time,[1] and is a branch of the atmospheric sciences. ... In information system design, data modeling is the analysis and design of the information in the system, concentrating on the logical entities and the logical dependencies between these entities. ... Ernst Haeckel coined the term oekologie in 1866. ... Climate models use quantitative methods to simulate the interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land surface, and ice. ... Future studies reflects on how today’s changes (or the lack thereof) become tomorrow’s reality. ... Geologic modelling (or modeling) is the applied science of creating computerized representations of portions of the Earths crust, especially oil and gas fields and groundwater aquifers. ... Hydrography focuses on the measurement of physical characteristics of waters and marginal land. ... Water covers 70% of the Earths surface. ... Hydrogeology (hydro- meaning water, and -geology meaning the study of the Earth) is the part of hydrology that deals with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil and rocks of the Earths crust, (commonly in aquifers). ... A mathematical model is the use of mathematical language to describe the behaviour of a system. ... medicines, see medication and pharmacology. ... It has been suggested that Infectious disease dynamics be merged into this article or section. ... The backbone dihedral angles are included in the molecular model of a protein. ... Morphological analysis is a technique developed by Fritz Zwicky (1966, 1969) for exploring all the possible solutions to a multi-dimensional, non-quantified problem complex. ... Thermohaline circulation Oceanography (from Ocean + Greek γράφειν = write), also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth Sciences that studies the Earths oceans and seas. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Political Science is the field concerning the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behaviour. ... Look up simulation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A modeling language is any language that supports the representation of a system by abstractions that are meaningful from the viewpoint (perspective) of a system stakeholder. ... A graph of a Normal bell curve showing statistics used in educational assessment and comparing various grading methods. ... In the mathematics of probability, a stochastic process is a random function. ... System Dynamics is an approach to understanding the behaviour of complex systems over time. ... In philosophy, physics, and other fields, a thought experiment (from the German Gedankenexperiment) is an attempt to solve a problem using the power of human imagination. ...

Literature about scientific modelling

Since the 1960s there is a strong growing amount of books and magazines about specific forms of scientific modelling. There is also a lot of discussion about scientific modeling in the philosophy-of-science literature. For an overview, see the entry Models in Science in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Organizations for scientific modelling

Nowadays there are some 40 magazines about scientific modelling which offer all kinds of international forums.

See also

• List of computer graphics and descriptive geometry topics
• List of graphical methods
• Model (abstract)
• Modelling language
• Scientific visualization
• Simulation

This is a list of computer graphics and descriptive geometry topics, by Wikipedia page. ... This is a list of graphical methods with a mathematical basis, by Wikipedia page. ... An abstract model (or conceptual model) is a theoretical construct that represents physical, biological or social processes, with a set of variables and a set of logical and quantitative relationships between them. ... In software engineering, Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a non-proprietary, third generation modeling and specification language. ... Scientific- (or data-), and Information visualization are branches of computer graphics and user interface design that are concerned with presenting data to users, by means of interactive or animated digital images. ... Look up simulation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

External links

• Centre for Modeling and Simulation, University of Pune, India
• Imagine That Inc. — Extend simulation modeling tools
• General Morphological Analysis: A General Method for Non-Quantified Modelling From the Swedish Morphological Society
• Decision tree to choose an uncertainty method for modelling, Choosing an uncertainty analysis for modelling.

• Levels of Conceptual Interoperability