IFs Forum
The IFs Forum exists in two different ways. It is an email list-serve and also an independent, online forum. Feel free to sign up for either or both at your convenience.
The email list-serve is useful for those who want monthly updates regarding the progress of the IFs project. Typically, IFs Team members post at the beginning of the month on the project in that they are currently working. Also, users can post questions to the list-serve about questions they have regarding the IFs software. Please visit the IFs List-Serve and sign up to join the conversation.
The IFs Forum is designed to foster long-term communication and dialogue regarding all issues surrounding the IFs model specifically, and forecasting in general. The IFs Forum community is separated into five distinct, but overlapping sections. The first section of the forum is dedicated to questions that involve the use of specific features of IFs. Since the standalone version of the software is broken down into three main sections (Display, Scenario Analysis and Extended Features), this forum takes the same format.
The second section of the forum is dedicated to the results of the IFs model. This section is broken down into regional focuses by continent, as well as issue areas. In this section, you can participate in a discussion about forecasts relating to migration in Sub-Saharan Africa, population growth in Japan, or the power index relating to China and the US, for example.
The third section focuses on the different sub-models and the different areas of expertise that they represent. In this section, you can participate in a discussion on the construction of the Education sub-model, the forward linkages from the Health sub-model, or the structure of the Economic sub-model, for example.
The fourth section of the forum is dedicated to the monthly IFs Challenge question. These questions are posed on the 15th of each month. The winner is crowned as soon as she or he posts the correct answer and will carry the title of IFs Challenge Champion until the next month's question is posted.
The fifth section of the forum is dedicated to open discussion about topics related to forecasting in general, IFs particularly and other professional topics. In this section, you can meet fellow modelers, discuss upcoming conferences, or talk about recent academic literature.