Keywords
knowledge
knowledge-based economy
R&D activity
innovation
innovative activity
knowledge investment
human resources for S&T
HRST statistics
CDH statistics
S&T policy
How to Cite
Abstract
The author presents challenges to science and technology (S&T) statistics concerning, above all, issues such as statistics of innovation, measurement of knowledge investments, all of which are important components of knowledge-based economy statistics and human resources for S&T statistics (HRST). The introduction mentions the 50th anniversary of R&D statistics, celebrated in 2007 by OECD, as an international effort based on agreed methodological recommendations. OECD is the main international co-ordinator of work aimed at developing the methodology of S&T statistics, now gradually transforming into knowledgebased economy statistics. The paper moves on to discuss the key changes to the methodology of innovation surveys made in the third edition of the Oslo Manual (2005). What deserves particular attention is the new typology of innovation, covering not only technological product and process innovation but also organisational and marketing innovation. The section on measurement of knowledge investment presents OECD’s current methodology as well as selected relevant data published by this organisation. It is remarked that the measurement of the value of investment poses serious methodological challenges which have not been satisfactorily addressed in practice due to unavailability of relevant statistics. Three subsequent sections of the paper are devoted to statistics of human resources for science and technology (HRST). Detailed discussion is offered of the new international research undertaking on an unprecedented scale i.e. the CDH project implemented jointly by the European Commission (Eurostat), OECD and UNESCO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics). The aim of the project is to develop an international methodological standard to study careers of doctorate holders (CDH) and to include the largest possible number of countries in this study. The paper also mentions a Polish pilot study on CDH conducted in Q4 of 2007 by the Information Processing Centre (OPI), a body which reports to the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The summary section presents good practice of using S&T statistics in research and in S&T policy. The main element mentioned here is the use of metadata (or information on information) which now represent an integral element of data in contemporary statistics.
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