TY - JOUR

T1 - Mission statements and self-descriptions of german extra-university research institutes

T2 - A qualitative content analysis

AU - Philipps, Axel

N1 - Funding information: *Figures in this line indicate state-warranted financial support. The state finances basic needs and research budgets for MPG institutes and GRAs. External funding offers additional resources. The state finances FhG institutes with up to 33% of their total budget. The support depends on external funding obtained from public and industrial actors.

PY - 2013/10/1

Y1 - 2013/10/1

N2 - Research institutes generate knowledge that contributes to the progress of science and society. Thus, they display certain specific organizational characterizations. This paper examines the variations in the descriptions of German extra-university research institutes by using a qualitative content analysis. It investigates the mission statements and self-descriptions from Max Planck institutes, Fraunhofer institutes, and government research agencies related to the material sciences in order to discuss differences among the institutes and to understand how they cope with external expectations. The findings reveal that the missions of the scientific associations tend to highlight scientific and other orientations. Those research institutes open to scientific communication and non-scientific problems tend to associate with non-scientific orientations. Based on these findings, I argue that external assessments of research institutes should pay attention to the organizations' self-description and asserted connections to science and society. The use of this perspective should minimize conflicts concerning the appropriate representation of such institutes.

AB - Research institutes generate knowledge that contributes to the progress of science and society. Thus, they display certain specific organizational characterizations. This paper examines the variations in the descriptions of German extra-university research institutes by using a qualitative content analysis. It investigates the mission statements and self-descriptions from Max Planck institutes, Fraunhofer institutes, and government research agencies related to the material sciences in order to discuss differences among the institutes and to understand how they cope with external expectations. The findings reveal that the missions of the scientific associations tend to highlight scientific and other orientations. Those research institutes open to scientific communication and non-scientific problems tend to associate with non-scientific orientations. Based on these findings, I argue that external assessments of research institutes should pay attention to the organizations' self-description and asserted connections to science and society. The use of this perspective should minimize conflicts concerning the appropriate representation of such institutes.

KW - Mission statements

KW - Organizational descriptions

KW - Qualitative content analysis

KW - Research institutes

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84885772681&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/scipol/sct024

DO - 10.1093/scipol/sct024

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84885772681

VL - 40

SP - 686

EP - 697

JO - Science and Public Policy

JF - Science and Public Policy

SN - 0302-3427

IS - 5

ER -