PC-MDS is a series of computer program for multidimensional statistics, focusing on multidimensional scaling, conjoint, cluster and correspondence analysis. MDPREF, KYST, PREFMAP, INDSCAL, PROFIT, HICLUST, HOWARD-HARRIS CLUSTER, WARD'S CLUSTERING, MONANOVA, TRADEOFF, CONJOINT, CASE5, DISTRAN, FMATCH, CORAN, CORR, DISCRIM, FACTOR, REGRESS and FREQ are written in Microsoft Fortran 77, C and assembly languages. All programs are in executable code so as to increase speed of operation. PC-MDS operates on the IBM PC and compatibles. PC-MDS will operate on any system with 512K of memory.
We have attempted to make the package easy to use by providing a layman's introduction to each PC-MDS program. This introduction is followed by a more sophisticated explanation and finally by a detailed example. PC-MDS does, however assume user knowledge of the statistical techniques requested. If the user is uncertain regarding the appropriateness of any given technique, several textbooks and journal articles are available. Aside from the original Bell Laboratories Documentation, several books may be most helpful:
Multidimensional Scaling: Concepts and Applications, by Paul E. Green, Frank J. Carmone Jr., and Scott M. Smith, (1989, Allyn and Bacon) This text is available for reading free of charge at this Internet site.
Introduction to Multidimensional Scaling, by Susan Schiffman, M. Lance Reynolds and Forest Young, (1981, Academic Press);
Applied Multidimensional Scaling by Paul E. Green and Vithala R. Rao (1972, Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc. (Out of print, but available through inter-library loan)), and
Multiattribute Decisions in Marketing by Paul E. Green and Yoram Wind, (1973, Dryden Press (Out of print, but available through inter-library loan)).