FACTORS AFFECTING SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTIVITY: THE LATIN AMERICAN CASE

In: International social science journal: ISSJ, Band 22, Heft 2, S. 243-263

Abstract

Although soc sci work in Latin America has made great advances in the past 10 yrs, productivity remains low & many res org's experience great difficulties. Pol'al & ideological issues are highly relevant to soc sci in Latin America but, at the same time it is also characterized by inefficient methods of allocation, shortage of funds, & scarcity of instit's, trained personnel, & facilities, a low level of sci'fic COMM, & a low level of public administration technique, & instit'al & staff instability. Res activity in Latin America is reviewed briefly & several proposals for stimulating soc sci work are set forth, including suggestions about improving instit'al arrangements. It is necessary to make decisions on pure vs applied res, to limit the number of fields in which res'ers are engaged, to recruit & train personnel, to improve COMM interaction, to control activities & res subjects while defending & protecting academic freedom, & draw the line between admin'ive & res duties. It is further necessary to provide res with financial stability & to develop a plurality of instit's: U's, assoc's & private res instit's, which should have independence & be able to communicate & cooperate with each other. Finally, gov efficiency should be increased & intra-instit'al relations developed & facilitated. A. Peskin.