Library and Information Science

The author analyzed information uses and outputs of more than 300 researchers and engineers who had worked in the Research and Development on Pattern Information Processing Project supported by the Electrotechnical Laboratory, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, and six Japanese computer makers; Hitachi, Toshiba, Mitsubishi Electric, NEC, and Fujitsu. This R&D project was carried out in the period of 1971–1980. The computer technology in Japan has reached to the most advanced level in the world owing to this project. According to the author’s analysis, the following are found out: (1) The R&D project makes the quantity of information increase, comparing inputs with outcomes of information. (2) Most of outputs of information from the R&D project are presented at scientific and technological meetings by words or writings in Japanese. (3) The researchers interested in basic and/or theoretical fields give much importance to publishing the results in journals, but the engineers engaged in development works more to patent applications. Therefore, in basic research, the earliest output of information on the result of research appears in journals, but in applied development works, the earliest is found among patent applications. (4) Many of Japanese researchers and engineers are not very eager to obtain the international approval for their achievements, but rather want to contribute to the organizations or teams to which they belong. (5) The researchers and engineers participated in the project are, judging from their information behaviors, categorized in the following four types; ① core type, ② information-carrier type, ③ isolated type, ④ marginal type. (6) The most productive of outputs of information are core type and information-carrier type researchers. However, those who are the most contributive to the project are information-carrier type researchers.