ValidateIS is an efficient simulaton program for validating
instantaneous sampling as a method of estimating activity durations,
when continous activity or behaviour logs are available. It can also
be used for analyzing pilot studies and determining appropriate
sampling intervals for later experiments.
ValidateIS calculates several evaluation measures which reflect the
accuracy of IS estimates. It is also possible to output only the error
distributions for plotting. In addition, the user can add her or his
own measures to the program.
ValidateIS differs from random simulation programs by simulating all
possible samplings, not just a random subset of them. In practice,
instantaneous sampling is simulated from all possible starting points,
treating the time series cyclically. As a result, validateIS gives
more accurate results than random simulation programs. Still, the
program is efficient, because the simulation is implemented by dynamic
programming.