NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 13: The information-seeking habits and practices of engineers

It is argued that only by maximizing the research and development process can the United States maintain and possibly capture its international competitive edge. Key to this goal is the provision of information services and products which meet the information needs of engineers. Evidence exists which indicates that traditional information services and products may, in fact, not be meeting the information needs of engineers. The primary reason for this deficiency is three fold. First, the specific information needs of engineers are neither well known nor well understood. Second, what is known about the information seeking habits and practices of engineers has not been applied to existing engineering information services. Third, the information professionals continue to over-emphasize technology instead of concentrating on the quality of the information itself and the ability of the information to meet the needs of the user

Enhancing US competitiveness through Federal scientific and technical information: Issues and opportunities

The possibility of using Federally funded scientific and technical information (STI) to increase U.S. industrial innovation and productivity is discussed. The history of Federally funded research and development in the fields of agriculture and aviation is reviewed as an example of successful government-sponsored research. Issues related to the production and utilization of information are considered and Federal STI policy is outlined. Issues related to the transfer of knowledge between government agencies and industry are examined and a model depicting the transfer of STI in aerospace research and development is presented. Also, consideration is given to the problem of open communication versus restricted access to STI

Illiberal regimes in the perspective of comparative constitutionalism

Illiberal regimes are generally de ned as regimes in which neither democracy nor fundamental rights are granted, and in which rule of law is substantially disregarded. Instead of attempting a taxonomy, the article gives an account of their origins and of the problems raised by their emergence in the perspective of comparative constitutionalism

Scientific Advice to Public Policy-Making

A feature of policy-making today is its dependence on scientific advice to deliver public policies that are robust, credible, and effective. This paper discusses how policy-making profits from scientific advice in areas where science and technology are significant. Particular attention is given to issues holding a high level of uncertainty, either because of inherent variability, because science is incomplete or controversial, or because data are inadequate to support a definitive answer. First, we analyse the social context that characterises the relationship between science and policy-making, with a focus on the decrease of public confidence in politicians and scientists. Second, we compare three different sets of guidelines on the collection and use of expertise in policy-making (issued by the UK, Canada and the European Commission, respectively) and identify two different approaches to scientific advice in policy-making. Third, based on a set of cross-national and multi-disciplinary case studies, we look at how the relationship between science and policy-making works in practice and propose a set of recommendations towards the establishment of a more robust and effective policy-making process.Scientific advice, Policy-making, Expertise

An evaluation of selected NASA scientific and technical information products: Results of a pilot study

A pilot study was conducted to evaluate selected NASA scientific and technical information (STI) products. The study, which utilized survey research in the form of a self-administered mail questionnaire, had a two-fold purpose -- to gather baseline data regarding the use and perceived usefulness of selected NASA STI products and to develop/validate questions that could be used in a future study concerned with the role of the U.S. government technical report in aeronautics. The sample frame consisted of 25,000 members of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in the U.S. with academic, government or industrial affiliation. Simple random sampling was used to select 2000 individuals to participate in the study. Three hundred fifty-three usable questionnaires (17 percent response rate) were received by the established cutoff date. The findings indicate that: (1) NASA STI is used and is generally perceived as being important; (2) the use rate for NASA-authored conference/meeting papers, journal articles, and technical reports is fairly uniform; (3) a considerable number of respondents are unfamiliar with STAR (Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports), IAA (International Aerospace Abstracts), SCAN (Selected Current Aerospace Notices), and the RECON on-line retrieval system; (4) a considerable number of respondents who are familiar with these media do not use them; and (5) the perceived quality of NASA-authored journal articles and technical reports is very good

Comparative ecotoxicity of three polluted industrial soils for the Collembola Folsomia candida

We tried to quantify the ecotoxicity of three industrial soil samples contaminated by different metals, using the Collembolan Folsomia candida as a biological model and mortality, growth and reproduction as parameters. The observed ecotoxicities are rather normal for the first such soil sample (aluminum factory) but are high for the second sample (ore treatment) and relatively low for the third one (zinc factory) considering its high metal concentrations. For these last two soil samples, an unusual ecotoxicity plotting is observed: two high ecotoxicity recordings fit with a low and high percentage of polluted soil to non-polluted soil and noticeably lower ecotoxicity recordings are observed between them. Chemical analyses of metals in pore waters show that arsenic probably explains part of such an unusual ecotoxicity curve. Otherwise, mortality and growth of the animals are less sensitive parameters than reproduction. Our experiments show that the results of the ecotoxicological assays of polluted soils are complex and difficult to interpre

[NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 7:] The NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project: The DOD perspective

This project will provide descriptive and analytical data regarding the flow of STI at the individual, organizational, national, and international levels. It will examine both the channels used to communicate information and the social system of the aerospace knowledge diffusion process. Results of the project should provide useful information to R and D managers, information managers, and others concerned with improving access to and use of STI. Objectives include: (1) understanding the aerospace knowledge diffusion process at the individual, organizational, and national levels, placing particular emphasis on the diffusion of Federally funded aerospace STI; (2) understanding the international aerospace knowledge diffusion process at the individual and organizational levels, placing particular emphasis on the systems used to diffuse the results of Federally funded aerospace STI; (3) understanding the roles NASA/DoD technical report and aerospace librarians play in the transfer and use of knowledge derived from Federally funded aerospace R and D; (4) achieving recognition and acceptance within NASA, DoD and throughout the aerospace community that STI is a valuable strategic resource for innovation, problem solving, and productivity; and (5) providing results that can be used to optimize the effectiveness and efficiency of the Federal STI aerospace transfer system and exchange mechanism

The NASA/DOD aerospace knowledge diffusion research project: A research agenda

The project has both immediate and long term purposes. In the first instance it provides a practical and pragmatic basis for understanding how the results of NASA/DoD research diffuse into the aerospace R and D process. Over the long term it provides an empirical basis for understanding the aerospace knowledge diffusion process itself, and its implications at the individual, organizational, national, and international levels. The project is studying the major barriers to effective knowledge diffusion. This project will provide descriptive and analytical data regarding the flow of scientific and technical information (STI). It will examine both channels used to communicate information and the social system of the aerospace knowledge diffusion process

Introduction to National Aeronautics and Space Administration's scientific and technical information programs

A brief overview of the NASA program for managing scientific and technical information (STI) is given. The program's history and goals are discussed