1. A computer-implemented method for operation on a data processing system for performing computer simulations of an artificial system using a first model that has a plurality of model component parameters, comprising: executing instructions on the data processing system for storing candidate factors and candidate responses in a computer-readable data store; executing instructions on the data processing system for selecting, from the stored candidate factors and candidate responses, first factors and first responses for populating a first experiment; executing instructions on the data processing system for generating one or more factor anchors between the model component parameters in the first model and the factors stored in the data store in order to create a virtual mapping between one or more of the model component parameters in the first model and one or more of the factors stored in the data store; executing instructions on the data processing system for generating one or more response anchors between the model component parameters in the first model and the response stored in the data store in order to create a virtual mapping between one or more of the model component parameters in the first model and one or more of the responses stored in the data store; executing instructions on the data processing system for selecting the first model for a simulation execution; executing instructions on the data processing system for selecting the first experiment for use in the simulation execution; executing instructions on the data processing system for executing the first model to generate simulation results; wherein during the executing: executing instructions on the data processing system for resolving the one or more factor anchors so that the model component parameters of the first model are initialized with values of the factors with which the model component parameters are identified by the generated factor anchors; executing instructions on the data processing system for resolving the one or more response anchors so that the simulation results are stored for the model component parameters of the first model with values of the responses with which the model component parameters are identified by the generated response anchors; executing instructions on the data processing system for storing in a computer-readable storage medium the values of the responses with respect to the artificial system.