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Qualitative Analysis

Each of the 204 comments was classified into the following categories:

Nature of Response - Value: negative, positive; Type: suggestions, inquiries.
Subject of Response - features; general; distribution; friendliness; survey improve.; interfaces; space reqs.; free source code; documentation; platforms (win95, NT, LINUX, others); interactive MD; installation; compiling; GUI; speed; scripting support; stereo capabilities; structure building; VMD support and fixes.

Any given comment could have been classified into one or two of the main categories and within each category into more than one sub-category.

For example, the comment...

``I have had considerable trouble out putting my VMD work via the associated rendering programs. This includes getting the programs compiled and installed in the first place and then in controlling the colors (they all seem washed out compared to the VMD molecule). Although I realize that these programs are not developed by the VMD developers,I think they could work more seamlessly with VMD and be better documented. I would also like to see more flexibility in atom label formats."

...was classified into the category `nature of response' as negative and in the category `subject of response' as pertaining to compiling; documentation; interfaces.

The distribution of all comments listed by at least 5 respondents is presented below in a descending order.

*(10 of which on molecule/structure builder)

The frequency of comments suggests the relative importance respondents attributed to each aspect - `features', for example, appears to weigh more on their minds than `speed' of the program - reflecting users' expectations and concerns. The few negative comments pertained mostly to compiling and installation and to support.

The comments have all been archived for future reference.



John Stone
Mon May 24 11:10:57 CDT 1999