ModSpace
ModSpace is a searchable, versioned repository of models, knowledge and code which can be shared among the entire M&S department. When a modeler has completed his analysis work it should be added to the repository and tagged - for instance, indicating which disease the model pertains to, the therapeutic area and keywords. When the entry is published, all the content is indexed (including office documents and pdfs) so that other users can search for both metadata ("I want a model for bayesian oncology phase 1 trial simulations") and model code ("I'm looking for examples of code that compute a confusion matrix"). Search results can be refined by filtering according to entry metadata.
Users can then download the entry and use it as the basis of their own work or just use parts of it. They can rate entries and give feedback to the author of the entry - suggesting improvements or asking for new features. ModSpace also has a reporting function which aids discovery ("What are the most highly rated entries? Which ones have been downloaded the most?") and ascertains the quality of the models ("This model was used by lots of other models", "Our models have good documentation, but are not robust", "This group isn't uploading many models").
Users have a home page that shows a news feed of updates to entries they are interested in, new entries and feedback. Entries can also be collected into groups to gather together entries that share a common theme or goal and provide another route to model discovery.
The aim of this setup is to ensure:
- Increased productivity and quality through reuse and extension of previous work.
- Reduced duplication of effort (not reinventing the wheel).
- Standardization - work evolves to a common format.
Modspace is fully configurable; it is possible to add support for new file types and extend/alter the metadata that is attached to entries, groups and files.
