Library and Information Science

The present paper reports on a study on informal communication networks among scientists in perception research in Japan. A total of 178 psychologists in the research area were identified and questionnaires were sent to them. Responses were received from 95 of them (53%), of whom 90 were still active in rsearch on the subject. The results obtained are as follows:

1. Existence of informal communication networks was recognized. They were being formed on the base of communication flow among the members of semi-formal groups of the scientists in the field of perception study.

2. Some of the members were forming subgroups because of their interest in particular themes and methodologies. The majority of the group, however, attributed their motivation for joining the networks to the common interest in the study of perception.

3. There were 22 scientists recognized as “central scientist” in the networks. One of them was clearly acting as a “gatekeepe” in the total network.

4. All of the central scientists were established senior researchers and were active in informal communication with younger scientists. However, communication among central scientists was mainly on business matters such as planing meetings and running committees of associations. This does not follow the pattern identified by similar studies in the United States.

5. Younger scientists had their own fairly active communication networks among themselves.