Nabar-Bhaduri S, Bhaduri S "The science of growth and the growth of science" Current Science 89(7): 1076-1079 October 10 2005

[Eugene Garfield]

The journal is available online at : http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/

This article is available at :
http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/oct102005/1076.pdf

E-mail Address : Sumit Bhaduri : sumit_bhaduri at ril.com



Title: The science of growth and the growth of science

Author(s): Nabar-Bhaduri S, Bhaduri S

Source: CURRENT SCIENCE 89 (7): 1076-1079 OCT 10 2005

Document Type: Editorial Material       Language: English
Cited References: 18                    Times Cited: 0

Abstract: Science, technology and economics share complex relationships and
attempts to quantify the contribution of science and technology (S&T) to
economic growth are fraught with many difficulties. The growth in S&T
related activities on the other hand could be quantified in terms of number
of publications and patents: Do such numbers for an area of S&T that has
had clear and quantified economic impact throw any new light on their
relationships? With 'Green Revolution' as the test case and publication and
patent data of the last 25-40 years, such an analysis has been carried out.
It appears that the practice of S&T in this area has been greatly
influenced by the intellectual property rights related aspects of
globalization.

Addresses: Reliance Ind, Swastik Mills, Bombay, Maharashtra 400071 India
E-mail Addresses: sumit_bhaduri at ril.com
Publisher: CURRENT SCIENCE ASSN, C V RAMAN AVENUE, PO BOX 8005, BANGALORE
560 080, INDIA
Subject Category: MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES
IDS Number: 976CX

ISSN: 0011-3891


I would like to draw particular attention to the following paragraph:

The esteem that a scientist enjoys from fellow scientists and his ability
to attract research funds, now increasingly depend on his overall
publication records as well as citation analysis. According to Frank
George, author of the book Economy of Attention7, ‘scientific communication
may be a “chase after attention”, but it happens because scientists “invest
their own attention in order to get attentive returns”.’ He goes on to
hypothesize that citation analysis is similar to the ‘invisible hand’ of a
market mechanism that guides the efficient use of attention. Whatever may
be the complex sociological and/or psychological reasons behind a knowledge
worker’s preoccupation with publications and citations, these are the
immediate, tangible and quantitative output of academic scientific
research. The total number of publications and citations over a given
period of time in a given area is a quantitative measure of the interest of
the S&T community in that particular area.

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