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Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network

Modeling to guide public health research and priorities

Standardized Model Documents

Modeling is a complex endeavor, and often it is very difficult to reconcile results from different models. To aid in this process of model description and comparison, CISNET has developed and implemented standardized model documentation. Model profiles are standardized descriptions that facilitate the comparison of models and their results. Users can read documentation about a single model or read side-by-side descriptions that contrast how models address different components of the process. Journal articles seldom contain extensive model descriptions; links from publications to model profiles provide a more complete model description.

Each CISNET team is given a private model profile Web site on which to maintain their model profile information and control what parts of their profile are shared with the rest of the consortium. Since the core documentation format is the same for each group, the published profile information is readily comparable among models.

A set of six Overview Documents with fixed templates provide a general description of the model. At a finer level of description, a set of Detail Documents is also provided. Users can create new document types if these do not fit their needs; however, the process of consolidation of new document types is ongoing.

Model profiles that are available can be found in each cancer-specific section: