ScattPort is intended to be a Light Scattering Information Portal for the light scattering community.

The basic concept of this information network includes the following features

• Database of available computer programs.
• Up to date information related to the subject of light scattering, e.g. conference announcements, free jobs, new books, retirements, or address changes.
• List of scientists and research groups working in the field of light scattering including subjects of research.
• A user forum for researchers and students in the field.
• Database of validated computational results.
• Alerting service by email.
• Frequently asked questions.

We would like to acknowledge support of this project by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the special program "Themenorientierte Informationsnetzwerke".

So far the scope and details about the realization of this internet information portal and the underlying project have been published in two articles:

• Thomas Wriedt, Jens Hellmers,
  New Scattering Information Portal for the light-scattering community,
  Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer,
  Volume 109, Issue 8, 2008, Pages 1536-1542,
  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2007.11.008
  Abstract:
  Current international research needs efficient exchange of information. To constantly keep information for the light-scattering community up to date, a project for a new Scattering Information Portal has been proposed. The history and the concept of the project will be described to invite interested scientists to contribute to the project.

• Jens Hellmers, Thomas Wriedt,
  New approaches for a light scattering Internet information portal and categorization schemes for light scattering software,
  Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer,
  Volume 110, Issues 14-16, 2009, Pages 1511-1517,
  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2009.01.023
  Abstract:
  Light scattering is important in a number of scientific fields and thus the efficient collation and exchange of this information becomes essential. The Internet allows information to be easily shared but the required content may be distributed over a number of web pages and thus may be difficult to locate using standard search engines.
  In this paper the current state of the development of a new light scattering Internet information portal is described. The upcoming technical realization for the web pages as well as the benefits for the users is outlined. One of the key features of the portal will be the comprehensive list of light scattering programs. For this also approaches to categorize light scattering software are investigated. This can help to develop search tools enabling scientists to find the best fitting program to their scattering problem.