(Percent) 



Figure 3-20 



Relative Growth in Scientific 

 Researcli Publications, by Selected 

 Fields of Science, 1960-73 



(Percent growth after 19601 



GROUP I 



1960 '62 



(Percent) 



■64 



'66 



GROUP II 



'72 



'74 



of research publications, and that their role v'ls-a- 

 vis other sectors is increasing. The extent of their 

 publication output appears high in relationship 

 to the fraction of total financial resources for 

 research which is expended by these in- 

 stitutions. (See figure 3-2 for the research 

 expenditures by this and other sectors.) 



Research publications and research expen- 

 ditures. Publications in the five fields shown in 

 figure 3-21 which were produced by universities 

 were compared with the reported R&D expen- 

 ditures for these fields. Expenditures in constant 

 dollars were used for this purpose, with a "lag 

 time" of two years between the expenditures 

 and publications. (The limited available data on 

 expenditures restricted the correlation to a short 

 period of time, and did not permit exploration of 

 alternate "lag times"). 



The results are presented in figure 3-22. A 

 relatively close fit between lagged expenditures 

 and publication output was found for the fields 

 of biology, engineering, and mathematics. On 

 the other hand, relatively large deviations 

 between input and output were obtained in 

 chemistry and physics, particularly in later 

 years. 



I960 



'66 



'72 



GROUP 



(Percent) 

 150 1 



100 

 50 



GROUP IV 



Geology 



^ Oceanography 

 ttPolitical Science 



1960 



1 Data not available for 1973. 



SOURCE^ National Federation ot Abstracting and Indexing Services. 



Basic research and technology 



The relationships between basic research and 

 eventual applications in modern technology are 

 complex and difficult to trace. Certain aspects of 

 these relationships were the subject of a special 

 study upon which the data presented here are 

 based. The study centered around 179 major 

 advances in technology which occurred in the 

 United States during the 1950-73 period. The 

 patent documentation associated with each of 

 the advances was examined to determine 

 characteristics of the research which were cited 

 as the origin of the invention. 



The sample of 179 major advances covers ten 

 broad areas of technology. These areas and 

 examples of specific advances included in the 

 study are shown below, on page 78 



75 



