Structured Reading Framework for Core Texts

In order to ensure that the structured reading of the core texts is consistent a simple set of questions was drawn up, and these questions were asked of each text, and evidence sought to answer each question.

This was too complex to automate with automatic word counts. In addition some of the documents were only available in printed hard copy and so not directly amenable to automated analysis.

The questions asked of each text are designed to elicit evidence to help answer the core research question:

“Is there evidence in the development of Irish research funding policy for a contextualisation of science, engineering and technology?” The terminology relating to this question was discussed in Chapter 2, where the question itself was formulated. The pragmatic context in terms of the agencies involved in Ireland was summarised and discussed in Chapter 3. The academic theoretical context, where formal taxonomies of research and innovation were de- fined, and where theories of how research and innovation operates, was discussed in Chapter 4. From this it should be clear that the key emphasis for the search for this contextualisation of Irish research funding policy lies not in the pragmatic issues of how many jobs are created in funded research centres, and how many students graduate with research degrees, though these do have a direct contex- tual impact outside the research centre on the regional economy (supplying direct jobs, and supplying a trained workforce for other employers). Rather the ques- tion is whether the research should be linked to the demands from outside the research community itself, whether industry links, and a choice of research direc- tion based upon industry feedback, is important. Thus the reading framework tries to identify such issues as cleanly as possible in potentially lengthy texts.

The following represents a structured reading framework for the core texts: 1. Does the text directly cite any external theory of research or of innovation

(in references, bibliography or footnotes)? The aim here is to identify a model with which the text aligns itself, and to discuss whether that model views academic research as conducted outside of any contextual require- ments from industry or society, validating itself within a pure academic context, or requires societal/industrial contextual links for the research ac- tivity to have validity.

2. Does the text use terminology that is an implicit citation of an external theory of research or innovation (this could mention the name of an au- thor, or the name of a theory, or use the terms ‘basic research’ and ‘applied research’ in a way that assumes a linear relationship, without providing a

citation? So again the key underlying purpose is to ascertain whether the text itself aligns itself with a model that views academic research as con- ducted within a pure academic context, outside of any external contextual requirements from industry or society, or requires such external contextual links—the difference between this and the previous question is that there is more room for error in the analysis, as it is potentially more subjective to deduce a model that informs a text, when it is not actually being cited by the text.

The analysis of each text includes five subsections:

1. Summary of Document An overview of the document in its own terms, not necessarily with a primary focus on Irish R&D funding for SET;

2. Summary of Document Significance A statement of the main importance of the document; this is particularly necessary for readability when this importance lies outside of the core scope of Irish R&D funding for SET; 3. Analysis: Evidence of Explicit Contextualisation An examination of the

explicit evidence for models of research and innovation.

4. Analysis: Evidence of Implicit Contextualisation An examination of the implicit evidence for models of research and innovation.

5. Analysis: Summary Where the analysis above is long and complex, the summary serves to highlight the key issues identified. Where the analysis is shorter, the summary synthesizes the points already made, the advantage of having a separate subsection being the ease of skim reading the whole of Chapters 6 and 7.

To defend this analysis from potential criticism that it is overly subjective, an analysis style that includes long quotations from the main texts being analysed is used. This serves to allow the reader to see the evidence, especially for arguments about implicit models of research and innovation, in enough of each document’s own linguistic context to make a sensible judgement as to whether the deduction and analysis are justified. The risk of this approach is that it makes the analysis slightly less elegant and more cumbersome, but it does serve this defined purpose. It could still be argued that the analysis is selective, and hence subjective, in highlighting only those sections of the text that confirm the central thesis. In response to this is that, in fact, the findings are not what had been originally anticipated, as will be explored in the final discussion in Chapter 8.

In terms of an understanding of what contextualisation means, these questions where borne in mind when analysing both the explicit and implicit reference to models of research and innovation:

5.4 SUMMARY 91 1. Does the text discuss any of these contextual factors for research:

(a) links from research to industry/commerce?

(b) links from research to government (international, national, regional or local)?

(c) usefulness of research to any external (to the researchers) constituency? 2. Is there any evidence of a divergence of theory from practice, with respect

to contextualisation, in the text?

5.4

Summary

This chapter has outlined the key elements in the method for the analysis of texts, the selection of the texts, and the structured reading guide to these texts. The framework for the analysis is defined as a search for evidence of increasing contextualisation of SET policy, using an analysis based on the explicit and im- plicit reference in the documents to four models of research and innovation, three of which deal with non-linear models that assume increasing contextualisation in various ways (i.e. relevance of research to society and to industry).

Therefore the framework has been established in this chapter and the pre- ceding chapters, and the subsequent chapters for the work which now follow and which is detailed in Chapter 6 and Chapter 7. Finally Chapter 8 provides a syn- thesis of the arguments and the results as well as offering concluding observations.

Chapter

6

Analysis of Texts: 1995–2000

6.1

Introduction

This chapter analyses a series of texts from the period 1995 to 2000, texts that lay the policy framework for the increased investment by the Irish government in research, and particularly Science, Engineering and Technology research, in Ireland.

Many of the documents analysed are not primarily about models for research and innovation, so in some senses it is unfair to expect them to yield to this type of analysis. However, it is a feature of the overall research funding policy that it is linked, either directly or indirectly, to the concept of the potential future economic welfare of the country. Consequently many of the documents provide some evidence that can be examined. To help do justice to all the documents discussed, the analysis below includes a brief summary of the document, and a discussion of its significance in its own terms, before going on to discuss the direct and indirect reference to these models.

This chapter analyses a number of documents that came out in the latter half of the 1990s. The subsequent chapter, Chapter 7 analyses documents pub- lished between 2001 and 2008. Previous chapters have established the context for this analysis. The final chapter presents a synthesis of the key findings and the conclusion.