diff --git a/inst/example_scripts/ex5_model_validation.R b/inst/example_scripts/ex5_model_validation.R
index ce89742..07d8d9b 100644
--- a/inst/example_scripts/ex5_model_validation.R
+++ b/inst/example_scripts/ex5_model_validation.R
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ library(readr)
 library(dplyr)
 library(tidyr)
 
-
 # Packages for MCMC and diagnostics
 library(tmbstan)
 # tmbstan relies on rstan, which now needs to be installed through the R
@@ -60,6 +59,40 @@ thrn_input <- prepare_rema_input(model_name = "thrnhead_rockfish",
 # run the model
 thrn_mod <- fit_rema(thrn_input)
 
+# tidy output and plot fitted data
+tidy_pcod <- tidy_rema(pcod_mod)
+p1 <- plot_rema(tidy_pcod)$biomass_by_strata +
+  ggtitle(label = "Model Fits to the AI Pcod Data",
+          subtitle = "Trawl Survey Biomass Strata") +
+  geom_ribbon(aes(ymin = pred_lci, ymax = pred_uci),
+              col = 'goldenrod', fill = 'goldenrod', alpha = 0.4) +
+  geom_line() +
+  geom_point(aes(x = year, y = obs)) +
+  geom_errorbar(aes(x = year, ymin = obs_lci, ymax = obs_uci))
+p1
+ggsave(paste0("vignettes/ex4_pcod_fits.png"), width = 6, height = 4, units = "in", bg = "white")
+
+tidy_thrn <- tidy_rema(thrn_mod)
+p2 <- plot_rema(tidy_thrn, biomass_ylab = 'Biomass (t)')$biomass_by_strata +
+  ggtitle(label = "Model Fits to the GOA Thornyhead Data",
+          subtitle = "Trawl Survey Biomass Strata") +
+  geom_ribbon(aes(ymin = pred_lci, ymax = pred_uci),
+              col = "#21918c", fill = "#21918c", alpha = 0.4) +
+  geom_line() +
+  geom_point(aes(x = year, y = obs)) +
+  geom_errorbar(aes(x = year, ymin = obs_lci, ymax = obs_uci))
+p2
+p3 <- plot_rema(tidy_thrn, cpue_ylab = "RPW")$cpue_by_strata +
+  ggtitle(label = NULL, subtitle = "Longline Survey Relative Population Weight (RPW) Strata") +
+  geom_ribbon(aes(ymin = pred_lci, ymax = pred_uci),
+              col = "#21918c", fill = "#21918c", alpha = 0.4) +
+  geom_line() +
+  geom_point(aes(x = year, y = obs)) +
+  geom_errorbar(aes(x = year, ymin = obs_lci, ymax = obs_uci))
+p3
+cowplot::plot_grid(p2, p3, rel_heights = c(0.7, 0.3), ncol = 1)
+ggsave(paste0("vignettes/ex4_thrn_fits.png"), width = 11, height = 10, units = "in", bg = "white")
+
 # simulation -----
 
 sim_test <- function(mod_name, replicates, cpue) {
@@ -190,8 +223,12 @@ p1thrn <- plot_sim(thrn_sim, "GOA Thornyhead Simulation")
 p2pcod <- plot_re(sim_re %>% filter(sp == "AI Pcod"), fill_col = "goldenrod")
 p2thrn <- plot_re(sim_re %>% filter(sp == "GOA Thornyhead"))
 
-cowplot::plot_grid(p1pcod, p2pcod, ncol = 1)
-ggsave(paste0("vignettes/ex4_sim_pcod.png"), width = 6.5, height = 7, units = "in", bg = "white")
+cowplot::plot_grid(p1pcod +
+                     labs(subtitle = "Distribution of parameters estimates\n(median=horizontal line, true value=point)"),
+                   p2pcod +
+                     labs(subtitle = "Distribution of relative error (RE;\ni.e., (true-estimated values)/true value*100)"),
+                   ncol = 1)
+ggsave(paste0("vignettes/ex4_sim_pcod.png"), width = 3.5, height = 6.5, units = "in", bg = "white")
 
 cowplot::plot_grid(p1thrn, p2thrn, ncol = 1)
 ggsave(paste0("vignettes/ex4_sim_thrn.png"), width = 11, height = 7, units = "in", bg = "white")
diff --git a/vignettes/ex4_model_validation.Rmd b/vignettes/ex4_model_validation.Rmd
index 1afa6ab..3f761b3 100644
--- a/vignettes/ex4_model_validation.Rmd
+++ b/vignettes/ex4_model_validation.Rmd
@@ -24,12 +24,9 @@ knitr::opts_chunk$set(warning = FALSE, message = FALSE)
 ```
 
 ```{r setup, warning = FALSE, message = FALSE, echo=FALSE,results='hide',fig.keep='all'}
-knitr::opts_chunk$set(echo = TRUE)
-
 library(ggplot2)
 library(dplyr)
 library(tidyr)
-
 # Packages for MCMC and diagnostics
 library(tmbstan)
 # tmbstan relies on rstan, which now needs to be installed through the R
@@ -40,13 +37,11 @@ library(tmbstan)
 #                                     "https://cloud.r-project.org"))
 library(rstan)
 library(bayesplot)
-
-ggplot2::theme_set(cowplot::theme_cowplot(font_size = 11) +
-                     cowplot::background_grid() +
-                     cowplot::panel_border())
-
+# install.packages("devtools")
+# devtools::install_github("afsc-assessments/rema")
 library(rema)
 
+ggplot2::theme_set(cowplot::theme_cowplot(font_size = 11) + cowplot::background_grid() + cowplot::panel_border())
 ```
 
 ### Motivation
@@ -126,8 +121,44 @@ thrn_input <- prepare_rema_input(model_name = 'thrnhead_rockfish',
 # run the model
 thrn_mod <- fit_rema(thrn_input) 
 
+# tidy output and plot fitted data
+tidy_pcod <- tidy_rema(pcod_mod)
+p1 <- plot_rema(tidy_pcod)$biomass_by_strata + 
+  ggtitle(label = "Model Fits to the AI Pcod Data",
+          subtitle = "Trawl Survey Biomass Strata") + 
+  geom_ribbon(aes(ymin = pred_lci, ymax = pred_uci),
+              col = 'goldenrod', fill = 'goldenrod', alpha = 0.4) +
+  geom_line() +
+  geom_point(aes(x = year, y = obs)) +
+  geom_errorbar(aes(x = year, ymin = obs_lci, ymax = obs_uci))
+p1
+ggsave(paste0("vignettes/ex4_pcod_fits.png"), width = 6, height = 4, units = "in", bg = "white")
+
+tidy_thrn <- tidy_rema(thrn_mod)
+p2 <- plot_rema(tidy_thrn, biomass_ylab = 'Biomass (t)')$biomass_by_strata + 
+  ggtitle(label = "Model Fits to the GOA Thornyhead Data",
+          subtitle = "Trawl Survey Biomass Strata") + 
+  geom_ribbon(aes(ymin = pred_lci, ymax = pred_uci),
+              col = "#21918c", fill = "#21918c", alpha = 0.4) +
+  geom_line() +
+  geom_point(aes(x = year, y = obs)) +
+  geom_errorbar(aes(x = year, ymin = obs_lci, ymax = obs_uci))
+p2
+p3 <- plot_rema(tidy_thrn, cpue_ylab = "RPW")$cpue_by_strata + 
+  ggtitle(label = NULL, subtitle = "Longline Survey Relative Population Weight (RPW) Strata") + 
+  geom_ribbon(aes(ymin = pred_lci, ymax = pred_uci),
+              col = "#21918c", fill = "#21918c", alpha = 0.4) +
+  geom_line() +
+  geom_point(aes(x = year, y = obs)) +
+  geom_errorbar(aes(x = year, ymin = obs_lci, ymax = obs_uci))
+p3
+cowplot::plot_grid(p2, p3, rel_heights = c(0.7, 0.3), ncol = 1)
+ggsave(paste0("vignettes/ex4_thrn_fits.png"), width = 11, height = 10, units = "in", bg = "white")
+
 ```
 
+![](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/afsc-assessments/rema/master/vignettes/ex4_fits.png){width="10in"}
+
 ### 1. Simulation self-test: Can we recover parameters without bias?
 
 Simulation testing is an important step to ensure the model has been properly coded and performs consistently without introducing bias (Auger‐Méthé et al., 2021; Gimenez et al., 2004). First, we use the REMA model to estimate parameters (e.g., process error variance) from the real data in the AI Pcod and GOA Thornyhead case studies. Next, we use the estimated parameters as "true" values to simulate new data (simulated observations and states) using the REMA equations. For AI Pcod each simulated data set is a biomass trajectory, and for GOA Thornyhead it includes biomass trajectories in nine strata and longline survey relative population weights (RPWs) in three strata. We use the REMA model to re-estimate the model parameters and calculate the relative error (RE; i.e., (true-estimated values)/true value\*100)) for the parameters in each simulation replicate (N=500).
@@ -459,9 +490,9 @@ For the more complex GOA Thornyhead model (right panels), the log_tau_biomass pa
 <!-- ![](ex4_mcmc_qq.png){width="10in"} -->
 ![](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/afsc-assessments/rema/master/vignettes/ex4_mcmc_qq.png){width="10in"}
 
-###4. Parameter correlation: Are the model parameters identifiable and non-redundant?
+### 4. Parameter correlation: Are the model parameters identifiable and non-redundant?
 
-Parameter redundancy refers to the idea that multiple parameters contribute to the model in the same way. An intuitive case is $y ~ \beta_1 + \beta_2 + \alpha x$, since the model could estimate many combinations of $\beta_1$ and $\beta_2$ which minimize the log-likelihood, i.e., the sampled parameters will be correlated. To reduce redundancy, $\beta_1 + \beta_2$ can be redefined as $\beta_0$. In more complex, hierarchical models, parameter redundancy is not always intuitive and can be solved by increasing the number of parameters (Gimenez et al., 2004; Cole, 2019), but can be checked using various diagnostics. One simple diagnostic is to check for parameter correlations.
+Parameter redundancy refers to the idea that multiple parameters contribute to the model in the same way. An intuitive case is $y \sim \beta_1 + \beta_2 + \alpha x$, since the model could estimate many combinations of $\beta_1$ and $\beta_2$ which minimize the log-likelihood, i.e., the sampled parameters will be correlated. To reduce redundancy, $\beta_1 + \beta_2$ can be redefined as $\beta_0$. In more complex, hierarchical models, parameter redundancy is not always intuitive and can be solved by increasing the number of parameters (Gimenez et al., 2004; Cole, 2019), but can be checked using various diagnostics. One simple diagnostic is to check for parameter correlations.
 
 Using the MCMC sampling framework, we can check for parameter correlations to help us identify possible redundancy in parameters using the `bayesplot` library (Gabry et al., 2019; Gabry and Mahr, 2024). If the sampled parameters are identifiable and non-redundant, we would see no correlation between parameters. For simplicity here, we only use the model case with the Laplace approximation.
 
@@ -509,6 +540,8 @@ The model validation methods presented in this vignette are tools for stock asse
 
 ### References
 
+Aeberhard, W.H., Flemming, J.M., Nielsen, A. 2018. Review of State-Space Models for Fisheries Science. Annual Review of Statistics and Its Application, 5(1), 215-235. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-statistics-031017-100427
+
 Auger-Méthé, M., Field, C., Albertsen, C.M., Derocher, A.E., Lewis, M.A., Jonsen, I.D., Flemming, J.M. 2016. State-space models’ dirty little secrets: even simple linear Gaussian models can have estimation problems. Scientific reports, 6(1), 26677.
 
 Auger‐Méthé, M., Newman, K., Cole, D., Empacher, F., Gryba, R., King, A. Leos-Barajas, V., Flemming, J.M., Nielsen, A, Petris, G., Thomas, L. 2021. A guide to state–space modeling of ecological time series. Ecological Monographs, 91(4), e01470.
diff --git a/vignettes/ex4_sim_pcod.png b/vignettes/ex4_sim_pcod.png
index fc82de9..c9bd727 100644
Binary files a/vignettes/ex4_sim_pcod.png and b/vignettes/ex4_sim_pcod.png differ