Figure 3-17 



Expenditures for Basic Research in Industry, by IVIajor Performing Industries, 1960-73 

 Current dollars Constant 1967 dollars ' 



(Dollars in Millions) 

 300 



250 



200 - 



150 



100 



50 



1960 



■62 



'64 



72 73 



1 GNP implicit price deflators used to convert 

 current dollars to constant 1967 dollars, 

 SOURCE: National Science Foundation. 



(Dollars in Millions) 



1960 



■62 



■64 



■68 



■72 '73 



Growth in research output. The extent and 

 pattern of the relative growth in research 

 publications are shown in figure 3-20 for each of 

 13 fields of science and engineering. The fields 

 listed in this figure are presented in descending 

 order with respect to the magnitude of their 

 relative growth in publications during the 1960- 

 73 period. The fields included in the top part of 

 the figure grew by more than 200 percent during 

 the period, those in the second plot by more than 

 100 but less than 200 percent, those in the third 

 by more than 75 but less than 100 percent, and 

 those in the bottom plot by less than 75 percent. 



The fields differ considerably in their pattern 

 of growth. For example, research publications in 



physics, chemistry, and engineering's (third plot 

 from top) have remained at nearly a constant 

 level since the late 1960's, whereas astronomy 

 and biology (second plot from top) grew 

 continuously throughout the period. The field of 

 oceanography exhibits one of the more complex 

 and unusual growth patterns; research 

 publications in that field rose rapidly until 1969, 

 but declined in most subsequent years. ^^ 



3-' These fields, as noted later in this chapter, play a large 

 role in technological innovation. 



^* For information on the U.S. output of scientific research 

 in an international context, see the chapter entitled, 

 "International Indicators of Science and Technology" in this 

 report. 



72 



