The survey, now complete, will be of value and relevance to social scientists in third-level institutions who use computer graphics and visualisation software in their teaching and research. Any other computer graphics or visualisation software Colleagues are particularly encouraged to comment on the views so far expressed. The review addresses matters relating to the computer software being employed to assist in visualisation in different subject areas and the advantages and disadvantages of specific software packages. The project is concerned with current general and subject-specific technological limitations and, with software vendors, is discussing how these problems might be resolved. It is our belief that the full merits and limitations of particular software can only be fully examined through the use of the software with real data, involving real questions and real problems.
Any survey is only as good as the information upon which it is based.
We encouraged the widest cross-section of academics to complete our questionnaire on the visualisation techniques they use in their work. We have written to over 500 social science departments in the United Kingdom enclosing questionnaires and asking for assistance. Our findings have been widely disseminated. As questionnaire responses reached us they were synthesised and posted to WWW pages at this site . In addition we have consulted software manufacturers to discuss the problems and possibilities that you raise.