  Computational models are increasingly used in high-impact decision making in
science, engineering, and medicine. The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) uses computational models to perform complex experiments
that are otherwise prohibitively expensive or require a microgravity
environment. Similarly, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European
Medicines Agency (EMA) have began accepting models and simulations as form of
evidence for pharmaceutical and medical device approval. It is crucial that
computational models meet a standard of credibility when using them in
high-stakes decision making. For this reason, institutes including NASA, the
FDA, and the EMA have developed standards to promote and assess the credibility
of computational models and simulations. However, due to the breadth of models
these institutes assess, these credibility standards are mostly qualitative and
avoid making specific recommendations. On the other hand, modeling and
simulation in systems biology is a narrow domain and several standards are
already in place. As systems biology models increase in complexity and
influence, the development of a credibility assessment system is crucial. Here
we review existing standards in systems biology, credibility standards in other
science, engineering, and medical fields, and propose the development of a
credibility standard for systems biology models.
