Toward reproducibility and comparability of IVC simulation studies: a literature survey

Intervehicle communication is currently transitioning from an academic exercise to a commercially attractive and feasible technology. However, many aspects of IVC protocols, their parameters and configurations, as well as application-specific adaptations are still to be studied. One of the key tools used is simulation. Looking back at recent years in IVC research, tremendous improvements in precision and realism of simulation models concerning all its aspects can be observed. These models offer a vast number of parameters, enabling investigation of a huge variety of different scenarios. We reviewed simulation studies published at major vehicular network conferences from 2009 to 2011 with a key focus on reproducibility and comparability of the published simulation studies. We are glad to present a clear trend toward a consolidated set of established standards, models, and tools. However, looking at individual papers, we commonly find key information (e.g., the used model) missing. This limits both the reproducibility and comparability of simulations conducted. We further present commonly used basic building blocks of simulations that can serve as a first step toward deriving an agreed-upon set on which IVC simulations can be based. We advocate providing all essential information as set out in this article to help keep future research reproducible and comparable.