Attitudes Toward Computer Software and Its Exchange in the Pressure Vessel Industry

Abstract

A survey of computer software use in the pressure vessel industry was conducted by means of a questionnaire that reached 707 active professionals in the industry. 249 filled-in questionnaires were returned. These were analyzed by standard statistical techniques in order to determine the following: the respondents’ background, the extent of their involvement with computer software in pressure vessel analysis and design, their attitudes toward computer software and their attitudes toward the creation of an active technology transfer effort for that software. The study verifies that a generally positive attitude toward software and its exchange exists among those who actually write and/or use computers. However, it was found that supervisors of those who write and/or use software would be unwilling to share most their programs with an active technology transfer effort for software.