1. A computer method for detecting patterns in structured models, comprising the steps of: obtaining a pattern specification of a subject pattern, the pattern specification (a) defining the subject pattern as a meta-class in a target domain, and (b) specifying one or more pattern roles as meta-properties of the subject pattern; and using the pattern specification, navigating user models, each user model having respective model elements, said navigating including looking for structures of model elements that fulfill the pattern roles, and returning conforming pattern instances as detected instances of the subject pattern.