The Research Process: Additional Automation via Authoring Software

Abstract

From the perspective of the sociology of science, it appears that we have again reached a threshold in the progression of scientific advances when we can expect to see great strides toward the automation and routinization of additional parts of the research process. It is quickly becoming possible for a researcher trained in a particular type of research, but not trained in computer programming languages, to create a piece of software that instructs him/her on how to accomplish one or more parts of the research endeavor important to his/her ongoing work. With each such piece of software, we are moved closer to the "black boxing" of the entire research process. The purpose of this article is to discuss briefly science and black boxes, authoring and programming, substantive experts as authors, disciplinary diversity in research, and the evolution of authonng and black boxes to support the premise that the authonng software packages now available will contribute the needed ingredient for launching the rapid black boxing of the social science research process. Fifteen authonng software packages for microcomputers will be explored as will several auxiliary packages that help the researcher complete the authoring process. Keywords: authoring, programming, automated research, microcomputer software, black boxes.