Exploring research trends in technology through the use of a controlled indexing vocabulary within a substantial dataset associated with a significant computing science corpus is of interest as it allows one to see the patterns of research within the computing sciences pursued and published over time.  When the exploration is performed via various visualizations, both static and dynamic, it allows for a more holistic analysis, particularly over protracted periods.

This paper analyzes the patterns of research that have been published within the Association for Computing Machinery’s (ACM) digital library (DL), a significant computing science corpus, from the years 1951 until 2017, a protracted period.  The number of documents analyzed within that time frame was 448,249, representing a substantial dataset.  The patterns of research are explored via the use of the ACM’s controlled indexing vocabulary, the Computing Classification System (CCS).  The number of CCS terms extracted from the documents was 1,075,197.

The analysis was performed using both static and dynamic visualization. The exploration suggests three interesting trends that have occurred in the science over the time studied, as well as suggesting some topics that perhaps demand more focus.  Of note, there has been a significant diminution in the mathematical aspects of the science, with a recent uptick in interest for the human-centered components of the field.  A lack of research in security and privacy is also suggested.