PERMAP is a free, Windows-based (Win 95, 98, ME, NT,
2000, XP, Vista, Win7), real-time interactive program for making perceptual
maps (also called product maps, strategic maps, sociograms, sociometric maps, psychometric
maps, stimulus-response maps, relationship maps, concept maps, etc.). Its
fundamental purpose is to uncover any "hidden structure" that might
be residing in a complex data set.
PERMAP takes object-to-object proximity values (also called
similarities, dissimilarities, correlations, distances, interactions,
psychological distances, dependencies, confusabilities, preferences, joint or
conditional probabilities, etc.), or up to 30 object attribute values which can
be used to calculate one of the forgoing types of promities, and uses
multidimensional scaling (MDS) to make a map that shows the relationships
between the objects. Succinctly, PERMAP makes classical metric and nonmetric
MDS analyses in one, two, three, … or eight dimensions, for one-mode two-way or
two-mode two-way data, with up to 1000 objects and with missing values
allowed. Ignoring jargon, PERMAP makes
all the common types of MDS analyses. In
addition, it can make several new types of MDS analyses involving error bounds
or boundary conditions, and it can show the affect of degrading the proximity
(similarity) information.
PERMAP has been downloaded and installed on thousands of PCs
since 1995. This page is visited about 15 to 20 times per day but at the start
of an academic semester the daily rate usually doubles. PERMAP has been loaded
on the servers of dozens of universities, companies and research organizations.
PERMAP's main claim-to-fame is that it lets you drag-and-drop
objects in and out of the active set while the map is evolving and being
displayed. It also allows complete
on-line control of the badness function, distance metric,
attributes-to-proximities formula, attribute set composition, mapping weights,
and metric or nonmetric MDS, again, while the solution is running and the
developing map is being displayed. The solution can be mirrored, rotated,
translated, or zoomed. The bottom line is that PERMAP gives you more real-time
control over your solution than any other MDS program. It lets you get a
"feel" for the solution and it lets you see, immediately, the changes
that occur if you change any of your assumptions.
PERMAP has been specifically designed to expose problems
associated with local minima. If you have worked with MDS but have not
discovered the real probability of the occurrence of results that are
controlled by local minima then you need to experiment with PERMAP. This
problem is well documented in the literature but too often is ignored by new
users. The problem is not solved by using rationalized starting points. You
have to experiment with real-time analyses, using real data, to really
understand it. See the PERMAP operation manual for more information on this
important point.
Downloading: The executable file and some
example files come as a “zipped” unit (actually, it comes using the RAR zip
protocol that is being used more and more nowaday – get a free “unRAR” program
from the web – RAR programs will handle the older zip format as well as all the
other flavors of file compressors – and a big benefit is that most ISPs will
allow RAR email attachments even if they contain an exe file whereas few ISPs will
allow emailed zipped exe files nowadays). By clicking on the following link you
can direct your browser to transfer the compressed file to your computer. This
file is less than 200 kb in size.
Operation Manual: PERMAP's operation manual is
approximately 75 pages long. It can be downloaded in pdf format. If you don't
want your Adobe Acrobat reader to open it, right click on the link and choose
Save Target As.
History: The original DOS version of PERMAP came out with
limited distribution in 1993. During 1995 it was made available via the
web. It got rave reviews from a small bunch of very enthusiastic and
charming individuals. By 1998 it was clear that PERMAP needed to be
entirely rewritten to make it compatible with the Windows operating
system. The first Windows version became available in 2000.
Related Programs: For information on other multidimensional scaling
computer programs, be sure to check out the entire MDSX web site. The MDSX effort has resulted a library of
stand-alone MDS programs using a common command language and operating under MS
DOS. It is undergoing a major revision, first to make source, documentation and
test data downloadable at a single program level, and second to produce Windows
and UNIX versions of the package. The MDSX team is committed to the principle
of not-for-profit academic software. Contact: Professor Tony Coxon at tony@tonycoxon.com or CoxonT@cardiff.ac.uk for
communication with the MDSX team.
A
Legal Stuff: PERMAP is academic freeware.
It is the copyrighted (1993-2011) property of Ronald B. Heady. You may use
PERMAP and copy it as much as you want as long as you do not sell it or
transfer it for a profit. PERMAP is offered “as is.” It comes with no guarantee
of any kind. Its author accepts no liability associated with its use. If you do
not accept these restrictions then you do not have permission to download or
use PERMAP.
Feedback: Suggestions for improvements are always welcome. Professor
Tony Coxon and his classes have provided valuable comments that have speeded
along PERMAP's evolution. Many thanks to them, and to all the others that have
sent in suggestions for improvement or words of encouragement.
Professor Ronald B. Heady, retired
Formerly of the B.I. Moody College of Business Administration
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
email: Ron Heady