Chiang Mai Journal of Science

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The general problem besetting research management was clearly stated many years ago as: “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things, because the inventor has for enemies all those who have done well under the old condition, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new.” Modern times have seen this problem compounded by a number of factors: the use of muddled language to describe research objectives and scenarios; research funding driven by current social issues and political environment; counterproductive research management policies; lack of  commitment to sustained research funding; and unfavourable financial conditions. These impediments to better scientific research are the subject of my present OPINION article. In fact, we badly need clear statements about the conduct of research. With an output that cannot be described in advance because it does not yet exist, how can research organisations present rational purposes, strategies and tactics? With the “rule of tens” operating, so that about 90% of the research activities of a research organisation produce results that are not substantially edifying or useful, how can you convince people that the organisation is adequately productive before the fact? Why should research be done? Out of an infinite number of possibilities, which should be pursued? Who should pursue them? How should they be pursued to maximize output? These questions and more always bother research managers. One feature of  the research process is that it condenses a large amount of  activity. This is true not just for inventions but also for other forms of  output such as prototypes, papers and lectures. A corollary is that the research process costs a lot, although this is not commonly recognised. This implies that effective management is very important for maintaining a competitive position. Another corollary is that research activity is a measure of research productivity. Real output is the only good measure, yet standard methods for managing the “performance” of  researchers tend to emphasize activities.

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