Abstract
Selected thirteen statistics were used or analysis of the structure of science and technology (S&T) activities in Japan, the U.S., Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Factor analysis shows that the S&T activities in those countries share two factors: a "science-technology" factor and an "input-output" factor. The structure of the S&T activities in the five advanced economies was described in terms of these factors. In addition, recent developments in S&T in the five countries were illustrated using a newly developed general indicator of science and technology (GIST). The analysis also revealed discrepancies between definitions given in the statistical documents and the reality, which should be carefully considered in the work process of analysis. Factor analysis combined with principal component analysis revealed that the S&T activities in the developed countries can be described in terms of three factors: size; science and technology; and input and output. These results provide a measure for evaluation of the level of Japan's R&D as a whole.
