Indicators of research output in the sciences from 5 Central European countries, 1990–1994

Conclusions

As usual, more questions are raised by the facts and figures presented in this report than answered. Some general features appear, nevertheless, unquestionable.

Austria shows a rather stable, balanced picture either the distribution of research activities by major fields, or the main publication channels, or the extent of international cooperation, or the major cooperating partners are concerned.

In the four ex-socialist countries great efforts are made not just to maintain the level of research activities of the previous years but also to conform to the European/world standards. Scientific communities of these countries have had to find some “compensations mechanisms” to counterbalance the detrimental effects of the countries economic problems. One possible with more developed countries increasing extent of international cooperation with more developed countries (predominantly with Germany and USA). Signs of exhaustion of this source of compensation can be observed in Hungary, and this can be a warning signal for other countries of the area, too.

One of the most intriguing questions raised by the results of this study is about the demographic and migrational processes within the scientific community underlying the observed publication trends and patterns. Learning more about these factors may take us closer to find the proper policy implications of the observed phenomena.