Science Software Quarterly
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Former names
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Science Software |
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Abbreviated title (ISO 4)
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Sci. Softw. Q. |
| Discipline | Computer science |
| Language | English |
| Edited by | Diana Gabaldon |
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Publication history
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1985-1990 |
| Frequency | Quarterly |
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| ISSN |
0893-9101 |
The Science Software Quarterly (SSQ) was a scientific journal for scientists of all disciplines who used computers in the 1980s, particularly desktop platforms such as the IBM-PC (introduced in 1981), the Apple Macintosh (introduced in 1984), and the Apple II (introduced in 1977). The journal featured reviews of scientific applications and other software that were available at the time for many different disciplines and branches of science. Each issue also contained articles about scientific computing, and regular features. Available by individual subscription, SSQ was published quarterly, or four times per year. Each issue contained about 110 pages.
Science Software Quarterly was founded in 1984 by executive editor Diana Gabaldon, who at the time was an assistant professor in the Center for Environmental Studies at Arizona State University.SSQ was first published by ASU. In 1987, the journal was acquired by a new publisher, John Wiley & Sons, who changed the title to Science Software. The software reviews and articles in the journal were not peer-reviewed.
On the new market for scientific software in 1986, Gabaldon wrote, "Within the last year, scientific and technical computer users have emerged as a significant vertical market." But scientists had been using personal computers before their market was discovered. "This means that computer-using scientists were frequently forced to write their own software if they wanted something specific to their needs."SSQ helped acquaint scientists with the newest software applications on the market, and provided evaluations from peers, who reviewed the products.
Authors of the SSQ reviews were volunteer scientists who were experts in their field, selected by the executive editor. For software applications new on the market, the scientist reviewer would install and use the product in his or her work, and then evaluate it. Or a scientist could choose to write a review of software that he or she was already using. Manufacturers supplied a current copy of the software free of charge to each reviewer.
SSQ scientist reviewers would install, learn to use, then evaluate a software package based on the following categories:
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