Proceedings of the International Conference on Scientific Information Two Volumes (1959) / Chapter Skim
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An Operations Research Study of the Dissemination of Scientific Information
An Operations Research Study of the Dissemination of Scientific Information
Pages 97-130
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From page 97... ...
The additional results obtained in the next six months will be reported at the time of the International Conference. General design ofthe research The question originally asked ofthe Operations Research Group at Case by the Office of Scientific Information was: What is the possibility of applying Operations Research to problems in the dissemination of recorded information?
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From page 98... ...
with increasing scientific productivity. It seemed equally clear that an acceptable measure of scientific productivity was not likely to be obtained within the time available for this project.
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From page 99... ...
It should be noticed that, although there is an assumption implicit in the use of "time available for scientific research" as a measure of effectiveness to the effect that if this time is increased productivity will also increase, there is no assumption made about the nature of this relationship, that is, its mathematical structure. It does not follow from this assumption, for example, that doubling the time available for scientific research will double scientific productivity.
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From page 100... ...
This type of activity seemed to be conveniently classifiable into: thinking or planning alone, setting up or maintaining equipment, using equipment to generate data, and treating data. Nonscientific activity can be divided into business activity and that which is personal and social.
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From page 101... ...
Hearing question 2. Reading question Reading for use Reading for general information Hearing information Working out material Editing material received 9.
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From page 102... ...
From observations so made estimates can be made of the over-all allocation of time and the accuracy of these estimates can also be determinecI. After extensive pretesting and collection of information as to the time required in making observations and in setting up to make observations, and after estimating the number of observations required to obtain results of acceptable reliability, it became clear that the resources available for this study would permit analysis of only one scientific discipline.
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From page 103... ...
We must see how the time division among some activities responds to changes in amount spent in other activities. The third aspect of the question concerning the disposition oftime by chemists is concerned with the influence ofthe various environments within which chemists work.
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From page 104... ...
for each group, yielding the 100 units for further analysis. Figure 2 shows the time division for the eight categories used on form 957-1: Scientific communication; Business communication; Thinking or planning ;>
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From page 105... ...
FIGURE 2. Chemists' time allocation' detail.
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From page 106... ...
3, 4, and 5, and In Table 2. The exact definitions of these categories, and ah the others used in this analyses are TABLE 2 Percent scientific communication time allocation Activity Minimum Average Maxi, Total scientific communication 15.7 33.4 61.4 General discussion 0.0 10.3 35.3 Oral, non-discussion 0.0 9.2 28.0 Total Written 3.9 14.3 45.0 Unpublished written 0.0 9.5 40.0 Published written 0.0 4.9 18.4 Sending, oral 0.0 4.5 17.7 Receiving, oral 0.0 3.8 19.4 Sending, written 0.0 5.0 15.0 Receiving, written 0.0 7.2 18.4 Retransmittal 0.0 2.7 20.6 Reading articles 0.0 2.6 13.7 Reading for use 0.0 3.9 14.3 Reading for general information 0.0 3.2 18.4 Communication with other scientist, non-chemist 0.0 2.7 16.3 Communication with other company personnel, secretaries, technicians 0.0 7.1 25.7 Communication with chemists 5.3 21.4 54.5 contained in Appendix 2.
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From page 107... ...
The third, and perhaps least expected result shown by this table, is that written information exchange is used only one and a half times as much as oral. In this table, oral information exchange specifically excludes discussion, and is restricted to actual transfer of
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From page 108... ...
Interrelationships To investigate the interrelationships among the various activities with respect to the time allocations, it was necessary to allow for the constraint imposed by the fact that the sum of the allocated time must equal 100%. Obviously as more time is spent in, say, scientific communication, less is left to be divided among the remaining activities.
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From page 109... ...
See Appendix 4 for the mathematical statement of the multinomial and the derivation of the expected value under constraint. With this expected value, interrelationships can be explored to see if, in fact, the actual values tend to exceed or to be less than the expected values.
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From page 110... ...
, predicted percent of time spent in Equipment use. (See Appendix 4.~-:
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From page 111... ...
7 and 8) could have arisen due to chance, when in fact the control variable exerts no influence on deviations from the expected value of the dependent variable.
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From page 112... ...
This group size varied from 5 to Ill. Table 5 shows the relation between group size and each of the eight gross time allocations.
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From page 113... ...
then · , ' ,' _ 1 ' _ _ _ _ I ~ ~1_ _ _ _ ~ L- I ~ 1 1_ 1 _ _~2~ communication time can be increased at the expense or less valuable act1v1t1es, or decreased in favor of more valuable ones. In any event, the value of communication (or any part of communication)
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From page 114... ...
The row and column totals were used to compute expected values within each cell of the table. X was computed with 5 x 17 = 85 degrees of freedom.
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From page 115... ...
Knowledge of these factors and their influences on time allocation may provide means to manipulate the allocation in directions favorable to increased productivity. A number of other potentially important analyses are contemplated.
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From page 116... ...
If so, extension ofthis analysis into the content of the written communication should provide additional understanding of the relationship and, consequently, a higher probability of being able to modify the relationship favorably through changes in content. In addition to using the content of communications in conjunction with the relative efficiency analysis described above, content analysis per se may provide broader comprehension of the scientific activity process.
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From page 117... ...
ACKNOWLEDGMENT This project involved the efforts of many including Beverly Bond, Richard E Deal, Philip Forsyth, Robert J
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From page 118... ...
APPENDIX 1 R ound: Obs erver: Scheduled start time: Actual start time: ACTIVITY NUMBER OF OBSERVATIONS TOTAL S cientific c am munic ation Non-scientific bus ine s s c am munic ation Thinking or planning alone Equipment set-up and maintenance Equipment use Data treatment Personal and s octal None of these Out of area Total Casor form 957-l 13 14 18 19 20 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 118
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From page 119... ...
R ound: DESCRIPTION OF SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION Hearing question R eading que stion Reading for use Reading for general information Hearing information Working out material Editing material received Writing information Telling information Writing question Asking question General discussion to l 2 to to 3 to 4 with 5 Di sc us sion about a from rec eived c ommunication with 6 from to Reading for ret ran smittal None of these (write in) 8 Ca sor form 9 57 - 2 NU MB ER AND T YPE OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION From f ram 5 f ram 6 from l | I ~ .
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From page 120... ...
d. An observational round starts at the time shown as "Scheduled start time" on the top of form 957-1.
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From page 121... ...
that is not of a scientific or technical nature. This category includes supervisory and administrative communications, letters, memos, and discussions relating to conducting the business activities or outside professional activities.
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From page 122... ...
(6) "Data treatment" is to be used for the analysis of numerical data such as calculating formulae, drawing graphs, making up tables, and charts.
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From page 123... ...
Description of scientific communication (1 ) Hearing question refers to occasions where the observed chemist is listening to an oral request or question.
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From page 124... ...
Edliting material received! is for those cases in which the observed chemist is proofreading, editing, refereeing, or otherwise working with material for publication (either for journals or books, or for publication within the company)
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From page 125... ...
(8) Writing information is used for all written scientific communication including letters, memoranda, reports, articles or books.
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From page 126... ...
(6) Behavioral scientists are the group containing psychologists, economists, .
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From page 127... ...
for nine consecutive work days. These observations (approximately 18,000)
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From page 128... ...
128 APPENDIX 3a Determining Literature and Reference Needs of Scientists AREA 1 The sampling procedure yielded a sample with the following characteristics: number of companies, 42; number of observed units, 50; number of chemists, 1305. Breakdown by Metropolitan area: Metro Companies Units Chem.;sts New York 11 15 257 Chicago 6 6 159 Philadelphia 2 2 114 San Francisco 6 6 147 Wilmington 2 2 160 BufEalo 4 4 89 Albany 6 7 179 Trenton 4 5 96 Kalamazoo 1 3 104 The sample was designed to obtain anoroximatelv 100 chemists in each area {200 1 ~ 11 ~ ~ · _ ~ ~ ~ 1 ~ · · 1 1 ~ ~1 · ~ 1 · · 1 ~ in mew York since it was considered two areas)
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From page 129... ...
Would you also classify the nature of the research conducted by them as being primarily either product research, or process research 3. Please check any of the following categories that describe the literature facilities available to the "observed chemists." You may check as many or as few of the categories as apply.
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From page 130... ...
5. Cla.ssification by specialty Mathematicians and statisticians Physical scientists, including physicists and metallurgists Chemists, including both "observed chemists" and all others Chemical engineers Other engineers Biologists, medical men, life scientists Behavioral scientists, including psychologists and economists Technicians, laboratory assistants Secretaries, clerical staff Administration personnel Total in group This question refers to a group of people which includes the chemists who were observed for two weeks earlier this year.
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