Connectionists: Towards Reproducible Descriptions of Neuronal Network Models

[Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser]

Dear Colleagues!

We would like to draw your attention to our recent review of the sorry state of neuronal network
descriptions in the literature, including a proposal for a Good Model Description Practice:

	Nordlie E, Gewaltig M-O, Plesser HE (2009).
	Towards reproducible descriptions of neuronal network models. 	
	PLoS Comput Biol 5(8):e1000456.
	http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000456.

You'll find a summary below.

The Good Model Descriptions Practice proposes standardized tables to provide a concise overview
over your model. To make it easier for you to include these tables in you own papers, we provide
the LaTeX code for one of the tables at

	http://www.nest-initiative.org/images/a/af/NordlieGewaltigPlesserPLoS2009Fig5.tex

We sincerely hope that you will find our proposal useful.

Best regards,
Hans Ekkehard Plesser


Author Summary
--------------

Scientists make precise, testable statements about their observations and models of nature.
Other scientists can then evaluate these statements and attempt to reproduce or extend them.
Results that cannot be reproduced will be duly criticized to arrive at better interpretations of
experimental results or better models. Over time, this discourse develops our joint scientific
knowledge. A crucial condition for this process is that scientists can describe their own models
in a manner that is precise and comprehensible to others. We analyze in this paper how well
models of neuronal networks are described in the scientific literature and conclude that the
wide variety of manners in which network models are described makes it difficult to communicate
models successfully. We propose a good model description practice to improve the communication
of neuronal network models.

-- 
Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser
Associate Professor

Dept. of Mathematical Sciences and Technology
Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Phone +47 6496 5467
Fax   +47 6496 5401
Email hans.ekkehard.plesser at umb.no
Home  http://arken.umb.no/~plesser