This paper outlines a framework for spatial microsimulation models, gives some reasons why someone may want to use a spatial microsimulation model, describes the development of spatial microsimulation over the last 30 years, summarises the different methods currently used for spatial microsimulation, and outlines how the models can be validated. In reviewing the reasons and methods for spatial ...

This paper presents an overview of microsimulation as a method to evaluate health and health care policies and interventions. After presenting a brief survey of microsimulation models and applications we describe the main features of the approach and how these are implemented in practice. We pay particular attention to the innovative features of dynamic microsimulation as a method of ex-ante po...

This paper describes a flexible computing framework designed to create a dynamic microsimulation model, the Life-cycle Income Analysis Model (LIAM). The principle computing characteristics include the degree of modularisation, parameterisation, generalisation and robustness. The paper describes the decisions taken with regard to type of dynamic model used. The LIAM framework has been used to cr...

In this paper, some vital methodological issues of spatial microsimulation modelling for small area estimation have been addressed, with a particular emphasis given to the reweighting techniques. Most of the review articles in small area estimation have highlighted methodologies based on various statistical models and theories. However, spatial microsimulation modelling is emerging as a very us...

Building on the research on immigrant earnings reviewed in the first article of this series, "Research on Immigrant Earnings," the preceding article, "Adding Immigrants to Microsimulation Models," linked research results to various issues essential for incorporating immigrant earnings into microsimulation models. The discussions of that article were in terms of a closed system. That is, it exam...

German demographic or educational projections are conventionally based on macrosimulation or period microsimulation models. In this paper we introduce a discrete-event microsimulation model, which we have designed to project the graduate rates of the German population. In this model we use survival functions to calculate different fertility rates by mothers’ education. This paper describes how ...

More than 10 years ago O’Donoghue (2001a) surveyed the dynamic microsimulation models that had been developed up to that point. However many of the barriers mentioned have been gradually overcome in the last decade. This paper surveys the development and practices in dynamic microsimulation over the past decade, and discusses the methodological challenges today. It provides an overview of the m...

During the last twenty years, microsimulation models have been increasingly applied in qualitative and quantitative analysis of public policies. This paper provides a discussion on microsimulation techniques and their theoretical background as a tool for the analysis of public policies with particular attention to redistribution and social policies. Basic principles in using microsimulation mod...

More than 10 years ago O’Donoghue (2001) surveyed the dynamic microsimulation models that had been developed up to that point. However the 2000’s have seen many of the barriers that existed for model development up until that point overcome. This paper surveys the development and practices in dynamic microsimulation over the past decade, and discusses the methodological challenges today. The pa...

Spatial microsimulation modelling has developed for over a half century and is now a mainstream analytical tool within the microsimulation community accounting for a very significant proportion of papers at conferences and within the journal. There have been a number of recent surveys of " mainstream " spatial microsimulation models and associated methodologies. The contribution of this paper r...