Methodological issues in modelling at multiple levels of description

Abstract

Computational neuroscience and Systems Biology are comparatively young, interdisciplinary areas in the life sciences, dealing with, arguably, the most complex systems we know of. All these factors conspire to make the status, and process, of building models in these areas problematic. Oftentimes modellers make tacit assumptions about their general approach, but we would argue that such assumptions should be explicit, and that establishing sound methodological principles is an important foundation stone for making progress.