National Science Systems Research Articles

Japanese corporations, scientific research and globalization

In an age of ‘stateless corporations’ do Japanese companies remain dependent upon the national science system in their home country? They do. Japanese companies produce scientific papers in the international literature, including papers reporting basic scientific research, but they publish relatively few papers from their foreign affiliates. The papers are produced by laboratories located in Japan, and these are staffed predominantly by Japanese. In producing their scientific research they collaborate relatively more with domestic institutions and cite Japanese scientific work heavily. These few facts describing the published scientific output of Japanese companies document the integration of Japanese corporations into the Japanese science system and hence their dependence upon that system. The implications of this result are twofold. First, any weakness in publicly funded Japanese research could well affect Japanese corporate research in the long term, because they are enmeshed in this system. Second, when combined with the fact that the companies contribute to the scientific literature, this result throws into doubt the idea that these companies are now ‘free riders’ on world science. They not only contribute to our scientific knowledge, but in doing so their science draws most heavily on Japanese, not foreign sources.

Scientific research areas in Mexico: Growth patterns in the late seventies

A longitudinal study of ten Mexican research areas was carried out in the late 1970s. In the study, research institutions were classified by a group of experts as primary and secondary, depending on the quality and quantity of research output. New institutions created during this time period were also classified as primary or secondary. Examination of the data shows a greater growth in the number of research personnel in primary institutions, evidence of uneven distribution of resources. Furthermore, due to the high turnover of qualified personnel observed in secondary institutions, they are at a disadvantage in forming mature, stable research groups, and are often precluded from becoming first rate research center. Since the national science and technology system does not facilitate the movement of institutions from secondary to primary positions, it is recommended that whenever a new institution is created, it should be provided with appropriate resources, both human and material, to make sure it will be considered as first rank from its inception. Also, in order to reduce the gap between primary and secondary institutions, long range strategies, including the provision of high quality researchers, should be developed to facilitate the upgrading of the secondary institutions.

Experiences in the Operation of a Forensic Science Computer Time-sharing System

The Spring of 1980 marked the beginning of a new era in computing in the Home Office Forensic Science Service initiated by the arrival at the Central Research Establishment of a Prime 550 computer. This paper describes the development of a time-sharing computer system based on the Prime 550, for use by a national forensic science system. Experiences with the running of the service, the applications developed and the difficulties encountered are given. Possible new avenues of applicability of general purpose computers to forensic science in the 1980s are explored.

On the Management of Inquiry

The problem of managing inquiry is a generalization of the more limited problem of managing research and development projects. As management science attends to the complex problem of educational systems or national science systems, then an awareness is worthwhile of other literatures relevant to the problem. This papersuggests that the manager must determine these major relationships: (a) The institution construct in which inquiry will take place—the literature on universities is reviewed as a source of models for establishing institutional relationships. This involves relating institutionalized activities to external value systems. (b) The internal organizational structure and norms of the inquiry groups themselves—the literature on professionalism is reviewed as a source of models for establishing internal norms and relationships. This involves relating individual member's value systems to the legitimate group norms. (c) The dominating methodology and epistemology employed by the inquirers—relevant literature in philosophy of science (especially social science) is reviewed as a source of models for analyzing different techniques and decision-modes of inquirers. This involves relating the values requisite for efficiency in a given inquiring mode to the values inherent in the purpose of the inquiry.

Annual Review of Information Science and Technology

Information Science (IS) is the study of principles underlying communication processes and information systems. It is not new as an activity; it has ancient precedents in other sciences, in philosophy, in the arts. It is, however, new as a separate discipline and a profession, one that draws from diverse sources and seeks solutions to problems of equally diverse fields. Its interdisciplinary character heightens its interest while making for great confusion. A few years ago the American Society for Information Science sought to bring together the relevant current literature of IS wherever published, in order to improve communication and standards. With support from National Science Foundation and System Development Corporation, the Society created the Annual Review of Information Science and Technology. From the beginning the venture has had a great deal going for it: an excellent program of document identification which has produced the Bibliography of Information Science and Technolopv (published separately), the services of outstanding reviewers in many fields, and a superior calibre of editorship. The result has been the production of the most useful single source of information on recent IS literature. Volume 31 of the Annual Review, published .in October 1968, covers the literature of calendar year 1967. It reflects the growing sophistication of the IS community as well as its increasing concern for the development of a sound theoretical base and rigorous discipline. Appropriately, the editor has varied from year to year the choice of subjects covered, as a reflection of changing emphases in the field. This year the coverage of automation of libraries and information centers, a single chapter in Volume 2, has been expanded into two, one covering automation of