OA-oriented research in computer science: a survey

The threefold purpose of this panel session (1) was to emphasize the appropriateness or legitimac y of and need for OA-oriented research by compute r scientists, to indicate or characterize the types o f computer science research which are called for , and to advocate researcher sensitivity to user need s in an environment as human-intensive as the office. Based on attendee feedback, it would appear tha t those stated topics are both very relevant an d timely. To provide some fuel for that panel session, a n informal survey was conducted earlier in 1982. I t was to ascertain what kinds of OA-oriente d research are being conducted by faculty member s in computer science departments in variou s academic institutions in the United States an d Canada. One good source for such information i s the ACM Graduate Assistantship Directory in th e Computer Sciences (2). Over 170 universities an d colleges were listed in the 1982/83 edition. Each one-page entry provides for brief identification o f the faculty research interests of the institution/department being profiled. A detailed search found only a handful of C .S. departments indicating interest in OA as a researc h area. Since then, the 1983/84 edition has bee n published. A quick scan of it has led to simila r results. However, it is known that several othe r departments do have faculty conducting suc h research but, for whatever reason, do not list O A in their profile. Also, a few universities identif y research interests in such topics as text editors an d word processing which are of course of relevanc e to the composite office system environment. Nevertheless, in view of the obvious trend towar d ever increasing utilization of computer an d communications technology in offices all around u s in our society, in business, industry, government a s well as academia, it is disappointing to find tha t less than 5% of all graduate-level academic C.S. departments are listing themselves as being directl y involved. This of course assumes that th e directory is reasonably accurate and up-to-date. I t also begs the question of how computer scientists view and define office automation. Perhaps a number of those who have given some thought t o it, look upon OA as just another application area , not research area, which will in due course fal l into place as …