An Interview with Dr. Phil Williams, Director

askSam Assists in International Security Research

Mathew B Ridgeway Center for International Security

Reprinted with Permission

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askSam: Which askSam product(s) are you currently using?

Dr. Williams:  I am presently using a copy of askSam Professional.

askSam: Can you tell me how you use askSam?

Dr. Williams:  I use askSam to store and to examine large numbers of documents dealing with transitional criminal organizations, black markets, trafficking in people, weapons, drugs,  etc.  These documents consist of government documents, press reports, and reports from international agencies.   Altogether in askSam, I have between 7,000 and 10,000 documents spread across several databases which are kept on a laptop and provide a portable library.   With askSam, I am able to keep up with this rapidly developing field. I am also able to exploit fully a variety of electronic sources of information.   askSam has added greatly to my ability to do research in a rapid and timely manner:

askSam: How has askSam made your job any easier, faster or more efficient?

Dr Williams:  askSam makes it possible to manage and analyze vast amounts of information that would otherwise be overwhelming.  On one research trip to Russia in late1996, officials were slow in providing interviews.  This posed a problem as I had a short turn around time to complete a report.   My database in askSam provided a solution and allowed me to write a large part of the report based on the huge amount of relevant material I had been collecting and already had in my system.  The ability to handle HTML documents is critical as the future of much research activity is on the Web.  

askSam is also a wonderful tool for checking sources and finding references for that extra idea or article to go into a research paper, article, or book chapter.  Along with my word processor and presentation software, askSam is the program I value and use most of all.  

askSam: Can you describe the implementation of our education licensing program within your university or department and was pricing a factor in deciding to use our products?

Dr. Williams: This is something we are currently exploring.   Pricing was not a major factor.  I was introduced to askSam by Robert Heibel of Mercyhurst College, (I am very grateful Bob) and have become a very strong advocate of askSam.

askSam: Can you tell me what type of customer support you have received from our firm?

Dr. Williams:   I have not really needed any partly because askSam is highly stable and partly because I do not use much of its power.

askSam: Would you recommend askSam and why?

Dr. Williams:  Definitely!! For all the reasons identified above.  It allows the user to

store vast amounts of information and find exactly what is needed with speed and ease.

askSam: What applications do you have planned for askSam in the future?

Dr. Williams:  I need to do some refinement of the databases, and also start using it more generally for my own notes.  I am also very interested in exploring its utility for distance learning and teaching and for more systematic criminal intelligence analysis.

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Phil Williams, Director

Mathew B Ridgeway Center for International Security

4023 Forbes Quadrangle

Pittsburg  PA 15260

Phone: 412-648-7408

Email: ridgway1+@pitt.edu