The value of science: changing conceptions of scientific productivity, 1869 to circa 1970 Benoit Godin

Thu Jan 7 14:14:43 EST 2010

Title: The value of science: changing conceptions of scientific
productivity, 1869 to circa 1970

Authors: Godin, B 

Author Full Names: Godin, Benoit

Source: SOCIAL SCIENCE INFORMATION SUR LES SCIENCES SOCIALES 48 (4):
547-586 DEC 2009

Language: English

Document Type: Review

Author Keywords: Economics of science; History of science; Scientific
productivity; Statistics

KeyWords Plus: AMERICAN-PSYCHOLOGICAL-ASSOCIATION; VITAL-STATISTICS;
ECONOMIC-GROWTH; UNITED-STATES; MEN; AGE; PERFORMANCE; ORGANIZATION;
RETURN; RATES

Abstract: Productivity is now a buzzword in science studies. Whether you
consult the literature on research management, the economic literature
on technology and innovation, the literature on bibliometrics or the
official literature on science policy and its conceptual frameworks,
what you find is analyses on productivity, often accompanied by a plea,
and recipes, for increased productivity. This article documents how the
concept of productivity got into the analysis of science, through the
statistics on which the concept rested, and its transformation over one
hundred years. It argues that, through history, the concept as applied
to science has carried four meanings: productivity as reproduction,
productivity as output, productivity as efficiency and productivity as
outcome.

Reprint Address: Godin, B, INRS Urbanisat Culture & Soc, 385 Rue
Sherbrooke Est, Montreal, PQ H2X 1E3, Canada.

Research Institution addresses: INRS Urbanisat Culture & Soc, Montreal,
PQ H2X 1E3, Canada

E-mail Address: benoit.godin at ucs.inrs.ca

Cited References: *ADV COUNC SCI POL, 1956, ANN REP.
*CEC, 2003, INV RES ACT PLAN EUR.
*CEC, 2004, EUR INN SCOR 2004.
*DEP REC SUPPL, 1947, RES SCI ACT CAN FED.
*DOM BUR STAT, 1941, SURV SCI IND LAB CAN.
*DOM BUR STAT, 1956, IND RES DEV EXP CAN.
*DOM BUR STAT, 1960, FED GOV EXP SCI ACT.
*DSIR, 1958, EST RES DEV SCI ENG.
*EC, 2005, KEY FIG 2005 EUR RES.
*FED BRIT IND, 1943, IND RES.
*FED BRIT IND, 1947, SCI TECHN RES BRIT I.
*FED BRIT IND, 1952, RES DEV BRIT IND.
*OECD, 1962, 50 PER CENT GROWTH T.
*OECD, 1962, EC RES TECHN.
*OECD, 1962, MEAS SCI TECHN ACT P.
*OECD, 1970, GAPS TECHN COMP COUN.
*OECD, 1990, MEAS SCI TECHN ACT P.
*OECD, 1992, MEAS SCI TECHN ACT P.
*OECD, 1992, TECHN EC KEY REL.
*OECD, 1994, MEAS SCI TECHN ACT D.
*OECD, 1995, MAN MEAS HUM RES DEV.
*OECD, 2001, MEAS PROD MEAS AGGR.
*SAPPHO PROJ, 1972, SUCC FAIL IND INN SU.
*SPRU, 1972, SUCC FAIL IND INN SU.
*US BUR BUDG, 1950, R D EST OBL EXP.
*US BUR LAB STAT, 1931, MON LABOR REV, V33, P749.
*US BUR LAB STAT, 1932, MON LABOR REV, V35, P1031.
*US BUR LAB STAT, 1953, IND R D PREL REP.
*US BUR LAB STAT, 1953, SCI R D AM IND STUD.
*US DEP DEF, 1953, B US DEP DEF, V1148.
*US I CHEM ENG, 1963, P S HELD LOND 11 12.
*US NAT ASS MAN, 1949, TRENDS IND RES PAT P.
*US NAT RES COMM, 1938, RES NAT RES, V1.
*US NAT RES COUNC, 1920, DOCT CONF SCI 1920 A.
*US NAT RES COUNC, 1920, RES LAB IND EST US A.
*US NAT RES COUNC, 1921, FUNDS AV 1920 US AM.
*US NAT RES COUNC, 1923, FELL SCHOL ADV WORK.
*US NAT RES COUNC, 1927, HDB SCI TECHN SOC I.
*US NAT RES COUNC, 1941, RES NAT RES, V2.
*US NAT SCI BOARD, 1973, SCI IND.
*US NAT SCI BOARD, 1975, SCI IND 1974.
*US NAT SCI FDN, 1953, FED FUNDS SCI FED FU.
*US NAT SCI FDN, 1956, 5616 NSF.
*US NAT SCI FDN, 1956, REV DAT R D, V1.
*US NAT SCI FDN, 1959, 5936 NSF.
*US OSRD, 1947, COST AN R D WORK REL.
*US PRES SCI RES B, 1947, SCI PUBL POL.
ABRAMS A, 1951, P 4 ANN C ADM RES U, P22.
ADAMS CW, 1946, ISIS, V36, P166.
ALLISON PD, 1974, AM SOCIOL REV, V39, P596.
ALLISON PD, 1982, AM SOCIOL REV, V47, P615.
ALLISON PD, 1990, AM SOCIOL REV, V55, P469.
ANTHONY RN, 1952, MANAGEMENT CONTROLS.
BELL D, 1965, END IDEOLOGIES EXHAU, P227.
BENDAVID J, 1991, SCI GROWTH ESSAYS SO, P103.
BERNAL JD, 1973, SOCIAL FUNCTION SCI.
BIX AS, 2000, INVENTING OURSELVES.
BRADFORD SC, 1934, ENGINEERING-LONDON, V137, P85.
BRODMAN E, 1944, B MED LIB ASS, V32, P479.
BUCHNER EF, 1904, PSYCHOL BULL, V1, P57.
BUSH V, 1995, SCI ENDLESS FRONTIER.
CANDOLLE A, 1987, HIST SCI SAVANTS DEP.
CARR LJ, 1929, RURAL COMMUNITY, P204.
CARR LJ, 1932, AM J SOCIOL, V37, P569.
CARTER CF, 1957, IND TECHNICAL PROGR.
CARTER CF, 1958, INVESTMENT INNOVATIO.
CATTELL JM, 1896, PSYCHOL REV, V3, P134.
CATTELL JM, 1898, SCIENCE, V8, P533.
CATTELL JM, 1903, AM J PSYCHOL, V14, P310.
CATTELL JM, 1903, POPULAR SCI MONT FEB, P359.
CATTELL JM, 1903, SCIENCE, V17, P561.
CATTELL JM, 1906, SCIENCE, V24, P732.
CATTELL JM, 1909, SCIENCE, V29, P228.
CATTELL JM, 1910, SCIENCE, V32, P633.
CATTELL JM, 1915, POPULAR SCI MONT MAY, P248.
CATTELL JM, 1917, SCI MON, V4, P248.
CATTELL JM, 1917, SCI MON, V5, P368.
CATTELL JM, 1917, SCIENCE, V45, P275.
CATTELL JM, 1922, SCI MON, V14, P568.
CATTELL JM, 1929, SCIENCE, V70, P335.
CATTELL JM, 2006, AM MEN SCI BIOGRAPHI.
CHANDLER AD, 1977, VISIBLE HAND MANAGER.
CLARKE EL, 1916, AM MEN LETT THEIR NA.
COBB CW, 1928, AM ECON REV, V18, P139.
COLE FJ, 1917, SCI PROGR, V11, P578.
COLE JR, 1973, SOCIAL STRATIFICATIO.
COLE S, 1967, AM SOCIOL REV, V32, P377.
COLE S, 1979, AM J SOCIOL, V84, P958.
COMPTON KT, 1941, RES NATL RESOURCE, V2, P124.
CRANE D, 1965, AM SOCIOL REV, V30, P699.
DEAN BV, 1968, EVALUATING SELECTING.
DEARBORN DC, 1953, SPENDING IND RES 195.
DENISON EF, 1962, SOURCES EC GROWTH US.
DENISON EF, 1967, WHY GROWTH RATES DIF.
DENNIS W, 1954, SCI MON, V79, P180.
DENNIS W, 1956, SCIENCE, V123, P724.
DOUGLAS PH, 1930, AM FED, V37, P923.
DOUGLAS PH, 1930, B TAYLOR SOC, V15, P254.
DOUGLAS PH, 1931, PROBLEM UNEMPLOYMENT.
ELLIS H, 1904, STUDY BRIT GENIUS.
EWELL RH, 1955, CHEM ENG NEWS 0718, P2980.
FABIAN Y, 1963, DASPD6348 OECD.
FABRICANT S, 1954, EC PROGR EC CHANGE.
FANO E, 1991, TECHNOL CULT, V32, P264.
FERNBERGER SW, 1921, PSYCHOL BULL, V18, P569.
FERNBERGER SW, 1930, PSYCHOL REV, V27, P526.
FERNBERGER SW, 1932, PSYCHOL BULL, V29, P1.
FERNBERGER SW, 1938, PSYCHOL BULL, V35, P261.
FERNBERGER SW, 1938, PSYCHOL BULL, V35, P84.
FERNBERGER SW, 1943, PSYCHOL REV, V50, P33.
FERNBERGER SW, 1946, SCIENCE, V104, P175.
FLETCHER S, 1952, SCIENCE, V115, P25.
FRANZ SI, 1917, PSYCHOL REV, V24, P197.
FREEMAN C, 1962, NATL I ECON REV, V20, P21.
FREEMAN C, 1963, SCI EC GROWTH GOVT P.
FREEMAN C, 1965, RES DEV EFFORT W EUR.
FREEMAN C, 1967, SCIENCE, V158, P463.
FREEMAN C, 1969, STS16 UNESCO.
FREEMAN C, 1971, REPORT BOLTON COMMIT.
FREEMAN C, 1974, EC IND INNOVATION.
FREEMAN C, 1982, RECENT DEV SCI TECHN.
FUSSLER HH, 1949, LIBR QUART, V19, P119.
GALTON F, 1873, FORTNIGHTLY REV, V19, P345.
GALTON F, 1874, ENGLISH MEN SCI THEI.
GALTON F, 1883, INQUIRIES HUMAN FACU.
GALTON F, 1901, NATURE, V64, P659.
GALTON F, 1906, NOTEWORTHY FAMILIES.
GALTON F, 2001, HEREDITARY GENIUS IN.
GARFIELD E, 1955, SCIENCE, V122, P108.
GARFIELD E, 1963, SCI CITATION INDEX.
GARFIELD E, 1964, SCIENCE, V144, P649.
GILFILLAN SC, 1930, GEOGR REV, V20, P301.
GILFILLAN SC, 1935, SOCIOLOGY INVENTION, P109.
GILFILLAN SC, 1951, J PATENT TRADEMARK, V33, P328.
GILFILLAN SC, 1960, TECHNOL CULT, V1, P201.
GILL C, 1940, UNEMPLOYMENT TECHNOL.
GODIN B, 2002, MINERVA, V40, P375.
GODIN B, 2004, RES POLICY, V33, P679, DOI 10.1016/j.respol.2003.10.006.
GODIN B, 2005, MEASUREMENT STAT SCI.
GODIN B, 2006, SCIENTOMETRICS, V68, P109.
GODIN B, 2007, RES POLICY, V36, P1388, DOI 10.1016/j.respol.2007.06.002.
GODIN B, 2007, SOC STUD SCI, V37, P691, DOI 10.1177/0306312706075338.
GRAUE E, 1943, REV ECON STATISTICS, V25, P221.
GRILICHES Z, 1958, J POLITICAL EC, V66, P419.
GRILICHES Z, 1962, RATE DIRECTION INVEN, P346.
GRILICHES Z, 1998, R D PRODUCTIVITY ECO, P52.
GROSS PLK, 1927, SCIENCE, V66, P385.
GROSS PLK, 1931, SCIENCE, V73, P660.
HART H, 1927, PROGR SOCIOLOGY, P191.
HODGE MH, 1963, HARVARD BUSINESS NOV, P109.
HOGAN RM, 1950, SCIENCE, V112, P613.
HOLLAND M, 1933, RES HARD TIMES.
HOPWOOD AG, 1984, ISSUES PUBLIC SECTOR, P167.
HOUNSHELL DA, 1988, SCI CORPORATE STRATE.
HULME EW, 1923, STAT BIBLIO RELATION.
HUNTINGTON E, 1927, BUILDERS AM.
JACOBY P, 1904, SELECTION CHEZ HOMME.
JEFFERSON M, 1911, B AM GEOGR SOC N Y, V43, P241.
JEROME H, 1934, MECH IND.
JOHNSON HT, 1978, BUS HIST REV, V52, P490.
JOHNSON HT, 1987, RELEVANCE LOST RISE.
JORGENSON DW, 1967, REV ECON STUD, V34, P249.
KAPLAN N, 1960, IEEE T ENG MANAGE, V30, P24.
KENDRICK JW, 1961, PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS.
KEVLES DJ, 1985, NAME EUGENICS.
KILGORE HM, 1945, GOVT WARTIME RES DEV.
KUZNETS SS, 1930, SECULAR MOVEMENTS PR, P1.
LEHMAN HC, 1953, AGE ACHIEVEMENT.
LEVI L, 1869, NATURE 1125, P99.
LIPETZ BA, 1965, MEASUREMENT EFFICIEN.
LOMBROSO C, 1891, MAN GENIUS.
LOTKA AJ, 1926, J WASHINGTON ACADEMY, V16, P317.
MACHLUP F, 1962, PRODUCTION DISTRIBUT.
MACHLUP F, 1962, RATE DIRECTION INVEN, P143.
MAGDOFF H, 1938, PRODUCTION EMPLOYMEN.
MANIS JG, 1951, SOC FORCES, V29, P267.
MANNICHE E, 1957, BEHAV SCI, V2, P301.
MANSFIELD E, 1965, AM ECON REV, V55, P310.
MANSFIELD E, 1968, EC TECHNOLOGICAL CHA.
MANSFIELD E, 1972, SCIENCE, V175, P477.
MANSFIELD E, 1977, Q J EC MAY, P221.
MEER B, 1955, J PSYCHOL, V39, P117.
MELTZER BN, 1949, AM J SOCIOL, V40, P25.
MELTZER BN, 1956, J SOC ISSUES, V12, P32.
MERTON RK, 1935, Q J ECON, V49, P454.
MILLS FC, 1932, EC TENDENCIES US.
MILLS FC, 1936, PRICES RECESSION REC.
MILLS FC, 1938, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNI.
MINASIAN J, 1969, AM ECON REV, V59, P80.
MINASIAN JR, 1962, RATE DIRECTION INVEN, P93.
NEARING S, 1914, POPULAR SCI MONTHLY, V85, P189.
NEARING S, 1916, SCI MON, V2, P48.
NELSON H, 1928, AM J PSYCHOL, V40, P303.
ODIN A, 1895, GENESE GRANDS HOMMES.
OGBURN WF, 1922, POLITICAL SCI Q, V37, P83.
OGBURN WF, 1933, RECENT SOCIAL TRENDS, P126.
OLSEN F, 1948, RES IND ITS ORG MANA, P402.
PEARL R, 1925, P NATL ACAD SCI USA, V11, P752.
PEARL R, 1926, P NATL ACAD SCI USA, V12, P258.
PELZ DC, 1956, ADM SCI Q, V1, P310.
PELZ DC, 1966, SCI ORG PRODUCTIVE C.
PERAZICH G, 1940, IND RES CHANGING TEC.
PICK D, 1989, FACES DEGENERATION E.
PICKERING EC, 1908, POPULAR SCI MONT OCT, P372.
PICKERING EC, 1909, POPULAR SCI MONT JAN, P80.
PORTER TM, 1995, TRUST NUMBERS PURSUI.
PRICE DD, 1978, METRIC SCI ADVENT SC, P69.
PRICE DJD, 1951, ARCH INT HIST SCI, V14, P85.
PRICE DJD, 1956, DISCOVERY, V17, P240.
PRICE DJD, 1961, SCI BABYLON.
PRICE DJD, 1963, LITTLE SCI BIG SCI.
PRICE DJD, 1967, JOURNEYS SCI SMALL S, P1.
PRICE DJD, 1967, SCI TECHNOLOGY OCT, P84.
PRICE DJD, 1980, C EV SCI TECHN THEOR.
PRICE DJD, 1980, RES DEV TECHNOLOGICA, P251.
QUINN JB, 1959, YARDSTICKS IND RES E.
QUINN JB, 1960, HARVARD BUS REV, P69.
RAINOFF TJ, 1929, ISIS, V12, P287.
RESKIN BF, 1977, AM SOCIOL REV, V42, P491.
ROE A, 1951, GENETIC PSYCHOL MONO, V43, P121.
ROE A, 1951, PSYCHOL MONOGR-GEN A, V65, P1.
ROE A, 1952, MAKING SCI.
ROE A, 1952, SCI AM, V187, P21.
ROE A, 1953, PSYCHOL MONOGR-GEN A, V67, P1.
ROE A, 1961, SCIENCE, V134, P456.
ROE A, 1963, SCI CREATIVITY.
ROE A, 1964, MANAGE SCI, P49.
ROE A, 1965, SCI REVISITED.
ROE A, 1965, SCIENCE, V150, P313.
ROE A, 1972, SCIENCE, V176, P940.
ROSA EB, 1920, J WASHINGTON ACAD SC, V10, P341.
ROSA EB, 1921, ANN AM ACAD POLIT SS, V95, P26.
ROSEN SM, 1941, TECHNOLOGY SOC INFLU.
ROSSMAN J, 1931, Q J ECON, V45, P522.
RUBENSTEIN AH, 1957, HARVARD BUSINESS JAN, P95.
SANDERS BS, 1936, J PATENT OFFICE OCT, P666.
SANDERS BS, 1962, RATE DIRECTION INVEN, P53.
SARTON G, 1923, CARNIEGIE I WASHINGT, V22, P335.
SCHMOOKLER J, 1950, J PATENT TRADEMARK, V32, P123.
SCHMOOKLER J, 1954, REV ECON STAT, P183.
SCHMOOKLER J, 1956, J PATENT OFFICE APR, P223.
SCHMOOKLER J, 1960, TECHNOL CULT, V1, P214.
SCHUMPETER J, 1939, BUSINESS CYCLES THEO, V1.
SCHUSTER A, 1925, P R SOC LOND A-CONTA, V107, P368.
SCOTT JS, 1978, AM SOCIOL REV, V43, P889.
SCOTT JS, 1981, AM SOCIOL REV, V46, P422.
SEEBER NC, 1964, REV DATA R D, V44.
SEILER RE, 1965, IMPROVING EFFECTIVEN.
SHAPLEY W, 1959, METHODOLOGY STATISTI, P7.
SHER IH, 1966, RES PROGRAM EFFECTIV, P136.
SHERMAN JV, 1941, RES NATL RESOURCE, V2, P120.
SHOCHLEY W, 1954, P IRE MAR, P279.
SOLOW RM, 1956, Q J ECON, V70, P65.
SOLOW RM, 1957, REV ECON STAT, V39, P312.
SOLOW RM, 1978, CAMBRIDGE EC HIST 1, V7.
SOLOWAY RA, 1990, DEMOGRAPHY DEGENERAT, P1.
SOROKIN PA, 1935, ISIS, V22, P516.
STAFFORD AB, 1952, AM J SOCIOL, V42, P539.
STEIN MI, 1953, J PSYCHOL, V36, P311.
STEIN MI, 1960, CREATIVITY INDIVIDUA.
STEPHAN PE, 1992, STRIKING MOTHER LODE.
STIGLER GS, 1947, TRENDS OUTPUT EMPLOY.
TAYLOR CW, 1963, SCI CREATIVITY ITS R.
TAYLOR CW, 1964, CREATIVITY PROGR POT.
TAYLOR CW, 1964, WIDENING HORIZONS CR.
TAYLOR CW, 1967, SCIENCE, V155, P1075.
TOMLINSON J, 1994, ACCOUNTING SOCIAL I, P168.
VALAVANISVAIL S, 1955, AM ECON REV, P208.
VISHER SS, 1947, SCI STARRED 1903 194.
VOLLMER HM, 1966, RES PROGRAM EFFECTIV, P148.
WADE N, 1975, SCIENCE, V188, P429.
WALLER JC, 2001, STUD HIST PHILOS M P, V32, P457.
WEINBERG B, 1923, REV GEN SCI 1030, P565.
WEINBERG B, 1926, REV GEN SCI, V37, P43.
WEINTRAUB D, 1932, J AM STAT ASSOC, V27, P383.
WEINTRAUB D, 1937, TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS, P67.
WHITE HS, 1915, SCIENCE, V42, P105.
WILSON PW, 1935, SCI MON, V41, P240.
WINSTON S, 1937, AM SOCIOL REV, V3, P837.
WOODS FA, 1906, MENTAL MORAL HEREDIT.
WYMAN WI, 1919, J PATENT TRADEMARK, V1, P439.
YOVITS MC, 1966, RES PROGRAM EFFECTIV.
ZUCKERMAN H, 1972, SOCIOLOGY AGE STRATI.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------

Eugene Garfield, PhD. email:  garfield at codex.cis.upenn.edu
<mailto:garfield at codex.cis.upenn.edu>  
home page: www.eugenegarfield.org <http://www.eugenegarfield.org/> 
Tel: 215-243-2205 Fax: 610-560-4749

Chairman Emeritus, Thomson Reuters Scientific (formerly ISI)
1500 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130-4067

President, The Scientist LLC. www.the-scientist.com
<http://www.the-scientist.com/>    
400 Market Street, Suite 1250, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2501
Past President, American Society for Information Science and Technology
(ASIS&T) www.asist.org <http://www.asist.org/>  

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mail.asis.org/pipermail/sigmetrics/attachments/20100107/3750ca2a/attachment.html>