Tools available as software packages
Assumptions
1. Quantitative results may be collected and this may require substantial capabilities in statistical analysis and for presentation of results in graphical formats. Conclusion: software for data manipulation, statistical analysis, and presentation of graphics may be required. Packages intended for engineering or scientific applications may also be appropriate.
2. Players and other participants may be canvassed at various times with questionnaires and similar methods for their input. Conclusion: software for preparing, distributing, and analyzing surveys may be required.
3. Some analysis may be conducted in spreadsheets. Conclusion: a package to handle spreadsheets may be required.
4. Some general programming capability may be required, i.e., a commonly available, versatile, and familiar computer language. Packages more tailored to math and physics may also be required. Conclusion: one computer language should be available (e.g., Python) and a capability for algebraic and numerical analysis may be required for certain projects.
5. Geographic products (maps and charts) may be developed for elaborating various scenarios and results of games may be presented as overlays to these maps and charts. Conclusion: software to edit charts and maps and to prepare overlays (i.e., a GIS) may be required.
6. For explanatory purposes and for reporting of results, the analysis team may develop diagrams to illustrate points. If the issue includes networks, a package specifically for the analysis of networks may also be required. Conclusion: a package for editing diagrams and, if this includes complicated networks, e.g., a network of terrorist cells, a package specifically for this may be required.
7. Audio and video recording of game proceedings and of AARs and other group deliberations may be made, with a requirement for editing. Conclusion: software for audio or video editing may be required.
8. To support some forms of adjudication within the game or to explore alternative results, some sort of "off the shelf" simulation package may be valuable. Conclusion: a package that quickly develops a discrete event simulation or a system dynamics model may be required.
9. Imagery may be appropriate for the reporting results. Conclusion: a package for editing digital images may be required.
10. Apart from providing results as printed reports, some results may be formatted for presentation over the web. Conclusion: some facility in producing and editing web pages from results may be required.
| Application Category | Product | Add-ons, Extensions, Libraries, Packages | Free-Open Source/ Proprietary | Sources for Additional Information | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Statistical Analysis and Programming | R | Various | Free-Open | www.r-project.org | Programming language with extensive libraries for statistical procedures and graphing |
| 2 | Julia | Various | Free-Open | julialang.org | Similar to R, but developed more recently | |
| 3 | Tableau | Prop | www.tableau.com | New development that provides particularly innovative charts and diagrams | ||
| 4 | SAS | Various | Prop | www.sas.com | Statistics package widely used in finance and business | |
| 5 | SPSS | Various | Prop | www.ibm.com/software/analytics/spss/ | Statistics package widely used in finance and business | |
| 6 | Systat | Various | Prop | www.systat.com | Statistics package intended for scientific applications. | |
| 7 | Gretl | Free-Open | gretl.sourceforge.net | Specifically intended for econometric type of analysis, but suitable for other analysis too. | ||
| 8 | Database | MS Access | Prop | products.office.com/en-us/access | Widely used database package | |
| 9 | MySQL | Free-Open | www.mysql.com | Widely used open source database package. | ||
| 10 | LibreOffice Base | Free-Open | www.libreoffice.org/discover/base | Similar to MS Access | ||
| 11 | Engineering and Scientific Programming | MATLAB | Simulink | Prop | www.mathworks.com | Widely used environment for engineering and physics applications. With Simulink, it can be used for system simulation. |
| 12 | GNU Octave | Free-Open | www.gnu.org/software/octave | Open source package, similar to and highly compatible with MatLab | ||
| 13 | SciLab | Free-Open | www.scilab.org | Open source package, similar to and highly compatible with MatLab | ||
| 14 | Mathcad | Prop | www.ptc.com/product/mathcad | |||
| 15 | Opinion Surveys | SurveyMonkey | Prop | www.surveymonkey.com | Useful for opinion surveys | |
| 16 | LimeSurvey | Free-Open | www.limesurvey.org | Useful for opinion surveys, but open source | ||
| 17 | SpreadSheets | MS Excel | Prop | products.office.com/en-us/excel | Spreadsheet for data, with useful formulas. Using VBA adds considerable functionality. | |
| 18 | LibreOffice Calc | Free-Open | www.libreoffice.org/discover/calc | Similar to MS Excel. | ||
| 19 | General Programming | Python | NumPy, SciPy, and Pandas | Free-Open | www.python.org | Python is a widely known computer language for general purposes, and can be adapted to numerical procedures and statistical analysis by adding NumPy, SciPy, and Pandas extensions. |
| 20 | Java | Free-Open | www.java.com | Widely used computer language | ||
| 21 | C/C++ | Free-Open | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_(disambiguation) | |||
| 22 | Algebraic Programming and Numerical Analysis | Maple | MapleSim | Prop | www.maplesoft.com | For various math and engineering applications, e.g., linear algebra, calculus, algebraic manipulation. MapleSim adds capability in system simulation. |
| 23 | Mathematica | Prop | www.wolfram.com/mathematica | Similar to Maple | ||
| 24 | SageMath | Free-Open | www.sagemath.org | Similar to Maple and MAthematica | ||
| 25 | Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | ArcGIS | Prop | www.arcgis.com | Widely used GIS package. | |
| 26 | FalconView | Free-Open | www.falconview.org | GIS package originally developed by Georgia Tech for US Air National Guard. Now open source. | ||
| 27 | Google Earth | Free-Open | www.google.com/earth | Widely used GIS application over the net. Also available for tailored applications (for a fee). | ||
| 28 | GRASS | Free-Open | grass.osgeo.org | GIS package originally developed by US Army Corps of Engineers. Now open source. | ||
| 29 | Simple Diagrams | MS Visio | Prop | products.office.com/en-us/visio | General purpose diagramming tool | |
| 30 | LibreOffice Draw | Free-Open | www.libreoffice.org/discover/draw | General purpose diagramming tool | ||
| 31 | Inkscape | Free-Open | inkscape.org | Particularly suitable for diagrams intended for web sites as SVG (scalable vector graphics) is the default format. | ||
| 32 | Network Analysis Environments | Gephi | Free-Open | gephi.github.io | Intended for the analysis of complicated network structures with many nodes and arcs. | |
| 33 | Audio Editing | Audacity | Free-Open | sourceforge.net/projects/audacity | When game results include audio recordings, suitable editing capability is required to reduce volume of material for analysis and reporting | |
| 34 | Video Editing | VideoStudio Pro X8 | Prop | www.corel.com | When game results include video recordings, suitable editing capability is required to reduce volume of material for analysis and reporting | |
| 35 | Critical Event Simulation | ExtendSim | Prop | www.extendsim.com | Easy to use simulation package. The version called ExtendSim-OR is specially intended for operations research applications. ExtendSim-CP is tailored to continuous processes, i.e., system dynamics. | |
| 36 | Arena | Prop | www.arenasimulation.com | |||
| 37 | Simul8 | Prop | www.simul8.com | |||
| 38 | System Dynamics Environment | Stella and iThink | Prop | www.iseesystems.com | Two similar packages for modelling using system dynamics constructs. | |
| 39 | Imagery Editing | Adobe Photoshop | Prop | www.adobe.com | ||
| 40 | GIMP | Free-Open | www.gimp.org | |||
| 41 | Web Page Content | HTML | Free-Open | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML | ||
| 42 | Web Page Format | CSS | Free-Open | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascading_Style_Sheets | ||
| 43 | Web Page Dynamics | JavaScript | jQuery, D3.js. and others | Free-Open | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JavaScript | jQuery facilitates adding dynamic to web pages from static HTML, and also eases problems in incompatibilities between various browsers. D3.js for “data driven documents” provides a library in JavaScript to present graphics that allow users to “play with the data” |