The data-text system - An application language for the social sciences
David J. Armor · afips · 1899
The enormous growth of special applications software has been the subject of much speculation and debate. While many of the developments are natural expansions into new application areas, many computer specialists argue that applications programming is a prime example of the tendency to reinvent the wheel. No area receives this accusation more than that of statistical packages or languages, particularly those developed for applications in the social and behavioral sciences. A recent study by Hugh F. Cline shows that in 130 universities which grant higher degrees in these fields, there are over 170 such packages or languages in use. This is more than one per university! No one could possibly maintain that all of these systems are unique; the duplication of effort has been rampant.