NSF Data Show Shifts In R&D

"Science and Technology in Transition to the 21st Century." That overview, by its title, sums up the 1998 edition of "Science & Engineering Indicators," issued every two years by the National Science Board and prepared by the staff of the National Science Foundation (NSF). At 296 pages and an additional 500 or so pages of data-laden appendix material, it's the biggest such compendium yet. Appearing regularly since 1972, the indicators report is NSF's best-seller and is used by just about every policy center in the world. The overall sense one gets in reading through this year's edition is a certain breathlessness over the scope of the R&D enterprise across the world. Everywhere, scientific and technological outputs race forward, catalyzed by that force multiplier called information technology. Movement of students, researchers, and data across borders is accelerating and the number of research collaborations and business alliances is increasing. Meanwhile, the newest high-tech economic and human resource ...