Simulation of the research process

Citation

Niazi MAK, Hussain A, Baig AR & Bhatti S (2008) Simulation of the research process. In: Mason S, Hill R, Mönch L & Rose O (eds.) Winter Simulation Conference, 2008. WSC 2008. Winter Simulation Conference, WSC. Winter Simulation Conference, 2008, Miami, Florida, 07.12.2008-10.12.2008. Piscataway, NJ: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), pp. 1326-1334. https://doi.org/10.1109/WSC.2008.4736206

Abstract
This paper presents first steps towards the development of a formal model of the research process. We evaluate the use of simulation as a tool for the evaluation of research strategies in nascent research organizations faced with the absence of significant data. We start by modeling the research process by using the ”Publish or Perish” paradigm, a well-known criteria of evaluation of research. We demonstrate the use of this model for researchers to evaluate the effects of selection of a particular publishing venue over time. We then perform various experiments using this basic idea. By means of various visualization techniques, we see how researchers with similar publishing policies might self-organize in the form of groups. We also evaluate the effects of giving higher weights to articles in journals and see where the effects of publishing in these venues breaks even for both top as well as average acceptance rates.

Keywords
Research; Agent-Based Simulation; Modeling; Self-Organization; Self-Assembly; Social Groups; Computational intelligence; Neural networks Computer science