11.3 How to Conduct Simulations?

Harwell et al. (1996) previously outlined the basic steps taken in an IRT simulation study:

1. specifying a research question,

2. delineating conditions

3. choosing an experimental design

4. generating data

5. estimating parameters

6. comparing true and estimated parameters

7. replicating the procedure a specified number of times, and

8. analyzing results using an appropriate method based on the design.