Development of U.S. science policy: A case study of the effects of the Strategic Defense Initiative on university campuses.

摘要

This exploratory study sought to discover the effects of national science policy and defense-related research, on the university community. A qualitative research design was used to gather information from a convenience sample of thirty-four members of the physical science and engineering departments in seven universities.;The study offers contrasts in the response to military sponsorship of research between two universities: one a well-established, private, North Eastern university; the other a newer state-supported university in the South West. Interviews were conducted with faculty members with experience of research opportunities provided by the Department of Defense, Strategic Defense Initiative Program.;Three central issues emerged from the analysis of verbatim transcripts of responses to open-ended interview questions on the impact of S.D.I. research: (1) the effects of mission-oriented research requirements; (2) the constraints imposed by secrecy requirements; and (3) the effects of large grants on university participation in research sponsored by the Department of Defense.;There was strong evidence of change among the scientific community on university campuses in (1) the operationalization of traditional scientific values, (2) the practice of scientific research, and (3) university research policy and administration, prompted by the constraints of defense-related research funding. Important differences in the response to mission-oriented research funding were found between the scientific and engineering communities, and between universities of different size and reputation. Explanations for these differences are offered from the anomie and learning perspectives on deviance. Further research exploring the national extent of these changes is recommended.