The Institute of Computer Software mainly studies network, pervasive and intelligent software technologies. Main research directions include:

Data Engineering: Data mining, XML database management systems, keyword search in heterogeneous data, mass data query processing techniques, web data management, context-aware data management, personalized information services, semi-structural information extraction, component repository for e-business, and e-government affairs.

Knowledge Engineering: Semantic web and semantic web service, ontology and social network mining, and XML based information processing.

VLSI Computer-Aided Design: Theory, algorithms, software and systems for integrated circuit computer-aided design (ICCAD); optimization algorithm and large-scale numerical computing, high-level synthesis and verification, physical layout optimization algorithm and tools; parasitic parameter extraction and delay calculation.

Software Engineering and System Engineering: Methods, techniques and tools of software engineering and system engineering, automatic model-driven testing, service-oriented computing, operation system, compiling system, programming languages, and middleware.

Data Visualization: Medical image visualization, Chang'e-1 exploration data visualization, optical coherence tomography (OCT) images processing and analysis, image-based modeling and rendering, wavelet analysis and its applications.