Discusses issues related to comments made by Britain's Secretary of State for Education and Science that the government may soon take a more direct role in determining teaching/research programs at British universities. Includes comments on the dual support system and impact of potential changes in funding basic scientific research. (JN)

Discussed is the Taguchi method for reducing variance by experimental design. Some examples in quality control in Japan and America are presented. Some criticisms of the method are summarized. (YP)

Surveys studies on bibliometrics and related subjects in Japan, classifying them into studies on bibliometrics and applications of bibliometrics. Examines applications of fuzzy set theory to document retrieval using bibliometric techniques. Emphasizes the models and methods used in common between bibliometrics and other fields of science. (SR)

Examination of the state's role in the creation of scientific information in African countries discusses economic and political arguments for state intervention and two methods of intervention--regulation and resource allocation. It is concluded that African states suffer from deficits in resources, expertise, and authority. Efforts to implement a…

France and the United Kingdom have similar programs for technology transfer and applications of scientific research. There is great potential for them to combine efforts and work with companies on regional, national, and European strategies for the use of technological innovations. (SK)

Why has science expanded more in some nations rather than others? The few studies addressing this issue have attributed variation in science to differences in economic development and religion. This article discusses additional explanations, including the impact of domestic political structure, colonialism, and world-system dependency. Also,…

Just how open-minded are modern scientists? In this paper we examine this question for the science faculty from New Zealand and UK universities. The Exeter questionnaire used by Preece and Baxter (2000) to examine superstitious beliefs of high school students and preservice science teachers was used as a basis for a series of in-depth interviews…

Over the past ten years there have been signs in Russia of a dangerous widespread tendency to underrate the creation of a whole set of conditions necessary for expanded reproduction of the country's science potential. Russia has fallen farther and farther behind technologically, its ability to compete in the world markets of science-intensive…

This article reports the findings of a study examining the violence experienced by children in their homes in Russia. The survey was conducted by the Scientific Research Institute of the Family, commissioned by the Commission on the Affairs of Women, the Family, and Demography under the President of the Russian Federation. The survey reveals that…

The National Security Council has barred the National Science Foundation from providing a grant to help finance American participation in East-West research because the federal government cannot control the research, causing the institute's supporters to seek money directly from Congress. (MSE)

Examines the gap between American and Soviet science, tracing the gap to overcentralization, an aversion to risk, and emphasis on theory at the expense of application. Indicates that Soviet leaders are aware of some of the problems but that barriers to reform remain strong and prospects for real change are limited. (JN)

The investigation and use of machine translation as an adjunct to human translation at the Soviet Union's All-Union Translation Center, a centralized scientific and technical translation facility, is examined. The issues of error correction, the variety of translation types needed, and special lexical considerations are discussed. (MSE)

University-industry cooperation in East Germany takes a variety of forms: cooperation on scientific committees, industry-commissioned faculty research, joint university-industry research groups undertaking projects for industry, university-industry projects of significance for the national economy, joint applied research organizations, and…

Between August and September 2004, EKOS Research Associates conducted the first round of a study entitled, Rethinking Science and Society. The aim of this study is to assess Canadians' attitudes toward science and research, particularly since research and innovation policies have become increasingly important for the federal government. The…