  Over the past years several authors have used the approach of generalized
modeling to study the dynamics of food chains and food webs. Generalized models
come close to the efficiency of random matrix models, while being as directly
interpretable as conventional differential-equation-based models. Here we
present a pedagogical introduction to the approach of generalized modeling.
This introduction places more emphasis on the underlying concepts of
generalized modeling than previous publications. Moreover, we propose a
shortcut that can significantly accelerate the formulation of generalized
models and introduce an iterative procedure that can be used to refine existing
generalized models by integrating new biological insights.
