Characteristics of science are explained through a historical and a functional approach. Indicates that science works successfully toward traditional goals because individual and group goals tend to coincide, and that competition between individual scientists contributes to the functional organization of science. (DH)

The belief that "knowledge is most effectively pursued when disseminated without hindrance" began when science first took shape in early Greece. Its development during the Middle Ages and Renaissance is discussed (examining patenting innovation), ownership rights became more important as science became a means to power. (DH)

Access to new information, including basic research, has created competitive advantages in the pursuit of military, commercial, and other social goals and has influenced communication practices in science. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility has conducted a project to…

Products of the mind constitute a kind of property and this belief leads to concerns in the academic community. Protection of open scientific communication and the distribution of economic value created by knowledge are discussed, addressing conflicts of interest, joint ventures for research support, and patent ownership. (DH)

Presented is an annotated bibliography of 54 publications under these topics: (1) general background; (2) university/industry relations; and (3) national security on the openness and secrecy in science and technology. Entries include both governmental and non-governmental sources. (DH)

Discusses whether biotechnology commercial application will significantly inhibit the free flow of information traditional in academic environments. Background factors, crux of the concern, assessment, and current options are given. Although little evidence that industry-university collaboration has impaired academic molecular genetics exists,…

Describes less-publicized situations in the biological sciences concerning problems of openness and communication among scientists. Topics addressed include information networks and rules, international communications, balance of power within institutions and fields, openness to whom and on what terms, and scientists as experts. (DH)

Examines the types of science created due to organizational demands, considering: centrality of peer review, university-industry partnerships, "pork barrell" funding, research misconduct, impositions of basic science, and other topics areas. "Openness" has become a matter for political debate, not scientific judgment alone. (DH)

Conflicts between requirements for national security and open scientific communication have resulted from government restraints. Various First Amendment issues are addressed, including: government's case; constitutional status; values of free expression; and federal funding. Indicates that scientists should not expect guaranteed freedom from…