Tools for Transparency and Replicability of Simulation in Archaeology

Author(s): Mark Madsen; Carl Lipo

Year: 2015

Summary

Simulation is an increasingly central tool across many theoretical frameworks but especially in evolutionary archaeology. Simulation and numerical analysis is routinely employed in hypothesis tests and model development. Simulations, however, have a well-deserved reputation as difficult to replicate and test, and it is rare that researchers beyond the authors can build upon a previously published simulation study. To improve replicability, and to make our work accessible, we employ standard tools and scripted analyses, and engage a standard software development toolchain. We describe our workflow as a contribution to best practices for simulation in archaeology.

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Cite this Record

Tools for Transparency and Replicability of Simulation in Archaeology. Mark Madsen, Carl Lipo. Presented at The 80th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, San Francisco, California. 2015 ( tDAR id: 397311)

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