Future Statistical Software Support Systems: User-Versus Package Control in Conversational Statistical Packages

SYNOPTIC ABSTRACT

Recently experimental packages with with intelligent interfaces have been developed. We discuss the usefulness of these packages (often called Statistical Expert Systems) during the five recognizable phases of a scientific investigation. We will see that each phase needs its own type of communication. Therefore and for other reasons we conclude that for the expert data analyst there is a need for a good ‘environment’, but, as yet, not for some catch-all expert system for scientific investigation.

Keywords and Phrases:

• Conversational Statistical package
• Statistical Expert System
• Man Machine Communication