A new academic impact metric for evaluating geographic simulation models

Geographic simulation models can be used to explore and better understand terrestrial natural landscapes altered by humans. Recent advances in geographic and environmental research, as well as in computational technology, have resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of geographic simulation models. Some geographic simulation model repositories provide opportunities for users to explore and apply these models, but do not provide a general evaluation method for assessing their applicability and usefulness. Providing an evaluation method would allow potential model users to determine which model is appropriate for their project, and could function as an incentive for model developers to provide more detailed model information. In this study, we propose an academic impact evaluation method for geographic simulation models. Five indices, including model-related publications, granted invention patents, funded research projects, literature citations in publications, and literature citations in patents, were designed based on their pertinence. An analytic hierarchy process and questionnaires were then used to calculate the weight of each index. Next, the academic impacts of geographic simulation models were quantified using the weighted sum method. By controlling the time range, the life-term and annual academic impacts of the models were also evaluated. The academic impacts were also compared according International Congress on Environmental Modelling & Software iEMSs to the model-related research areas. The academic impacts of 365 models from different repositories were then evaluated. The results show the model academic impact can be quantified by the proposed method. Moreover, models used in broad research areas have larger academic impacts.