@article {10.34196/ijm.00105,
article_type = {journal},
title = {The MicSim package of R: An entry-level toolkit for continuous-time microsimulation},
author = {Zinn, Sabine},
volume = 7,
number = 3,
year = 2014,
month = {dec},
pub_date = {2014-12-31},
pages = {3-32},
citation = {IJM 2014;7(3):3-32},
doi = {10.34196/ijm.00105},
url = {https://doi.org/10.34196/ijm.00105},
abstract = {High entry barriers might discourage many social scientists from using existing microsimulation software. This article presents the functionality and capabilities of the free and open source \textbf{R} package MicSim which allows performing continuous-time microsimulation at a very fine-grained level from a low level entry point. Hence, the package might also be of interest to people who are new to \textbf{R}. The package implements a generic microsimulation model for a wide range of demographic applications. Its central device is the individual life-course, which is defined by the sequence of states the individual visits over time and the intervals between the transitions from one state to another. The MicSim model is by design a discrete-event simulation model in which a demographic event implies a change in the state of an individual. The considered population is open and life-courses are specified to evolve along three continuous time scales: individual age, calendar time, and the time that an individual has already spent in the current state. The stochastic model of the microsimulation is parameterized with a base population, transition rates, and (if applicable) a population of migrants. Besides stochastic events, the package allows specifying deterministic events such as enrolment of children in elementary school. Example applications illustrate the capabilities of the package.},
keywords = {microsimulation toolkit, continuous-time, discrete-event simulation, \textbf{R} package},
journal = {IJM},
issn = {1747-5864},
publisher = {International Journal of Microsimulation},
}