"As for your other points, the issue of simulation accuracy is already taken very seriously in the areas where I've seen it used.... my field (high energy physics)"<p>Bad example, inasmuch as it is <i>too good</i>. Particle physics has petabytes of data (exabytes yet?) to test against and is very connected to the real world. With that check you can't stray very far.<p>"Ideally, you should collect your own data, make your own simulations, and do your own analysis. Then we should see if we got the same answer."<p>I would say a precondition of that step is first that I can reproduce your work. If I can't even reproduce your computation it's not even worth trying to reproduce the eventual results, as your eventual results are too questionable to begin with, as far as I am concerned. If I can't reproduce the computation you might as well have just pulled them from your bum.