Institutional Idiosyncrasies Research Articles

The Politics of Science Policy in the Periphery of Europe: The Case of Portugal

Studies on the relationship between science, technology and public policy have predominantly focused on the advanced industrialised countries. This article provides an overview and interpretation of the evolution of science policy in Portugal—a relatively less industrialised and a peripheral European country with a number of contrasting features with the developing countries. Policy analysis has emphasised the nature of public policies as dynamic processes that are influenced or determined by various contextual factors, institutional con straints, interests and policy cultures of the actors involved. Such a set of factors seem to be particularly distinctive and explanatory in countries marked by strong socio cultural and institutional idiosyncrasies sometimes deeply rooted in political and economic history, as in the case of Southern Europe. In the political and legal discourse, the importance of science and technology and the role of the state in their stimulation has been recurrently acknowledged in Portugal. Despite the manifestation of S&T policy issues in the political discourse, science and technology policy remains of secondary importance to the overall eco nomic policy area as such. The reason for this apparent contradiction between political discourse and practical realities appears to be rooted in the political and social cultures, particularly in the way science and its applications are perceived and utilised (or not utilised) by most of the enterprises, social organisations and political administrative structures.

Epilogue: the Silicone Society

The future is now for most librarians. The silicone chip of Large Scale Integrated (LSI) circuits is showing a growing potential to meet the needs of libraries and information centers. Automated circulation-systems, on-line serials control systems, and computerized acquisitions and financial systems all exist in part or totally. Public services operate on-line retrieval systems and at least one large library utility in the United States (OCLC) not only provides cataloging and verification, but also is working toward complete automation for libraries via large international networks. No longer are librarians dependent on mainframe computers which control the computerized functions and services of an institution but give low priority to library needs. A new breed of computers has brought about a greater freedom for librarians to explore a wider range of alternatives for automation. The advent of the silicone chip has created many possibilities for the smaller library which were not available before. It is apparent that technology is increasing at a rapid rate and that the cost of this technology is decreasing. Other factors as well seem to demand consideration for automation. As publication-costs increase, librarians must make difficult decisions about the use of library funds, which, in many cases, fail to meet these increased costs. Cooperation in areas of acquisition and interlibrary loan becomes even more desirable and emphasizes the need for networks. Local and regional networks may be individualized to adapt to institutional idiosyncrasies and may also connect with national or international networks. An exciting possibility is now available which will possibly change the pace of research and clinical care. We are all aware that most books are one to two years old by the date of their publication, and that many journal articles are at least several months to a year out of date by the time they reach print. The possibility exists, with the coming of electronic publishing, that a researcher's findings will be available more quickly because of the short amount of time it takes to type and edit material on a CRT or VDU for dissemination by computer. The author's original input can even be voice-actuated. It is presently difficult to determine the extent of the effect of this accelerated input. One can project, however, the possible effect on the library. For instance, several publishers have intimated that electronic publishing will