Book Description

"Science and Engineering Indicators" (SEI) is first and foremost a volume of record comprising the major high-quality quantitative data on the U.S. and international science and engineering enterprise. SEI is factual and policy neutral. It does not offer policy options, and it does not make policy recommendations. SEI employs a variety of presentation styles--tables, figures, narrative text, bulleted text, Web-based links, highlights, introductions, conclusions, reference lists--to make the data accessible to readers with different information needs and different information-processing preferences. The data are "indicators." Indicators are quantitative representations that might reasonably be thought to provide summary information bearing on the scope, quality, and vitality of the science and engineering enterprise. The indicators reported in SEI are intended to contribute to an understanding of the current environment and to inform the development of future policies. SEI includes seven chapters that follow a generally consistent pattern; an eighth chapter, on state indicators, presented in a unique format; and an overview that precedes these eight chapters. The chapter titles are: (1) Elementary and Secondary Education; (2) Higher Education in Science and Engineering; (3) Science and Engineering Labor Force; (4) Research and Development: National Trends and International Linkages; (5) Academic Research and Development; (6) Industry, Technology, and the Global Marketplace; (7) Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Understanding; and (8) State Indicators. An appendix volume, available online at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/indicators/, contains detailed data tables keyed to each of the eight chapters. SEI includes a list of abbreviations/acronyms and an index. Each chapter consists of contents and lists of sidebars, text tables, and figures; highlights; introduction (chapter overview and chapter organization); a narrative synthesis of data and related contextual information; conclusion; notes; glossary; and references. [For the related reports, see "Key Science and Engineering Indicators: 2010 Digest" (ED514059) and "Globalization of Science and Engineering Research: A Companion to the Science and Engineering Indicators 2010" (ED514062).].