Communications: technology transfer in the developed world.
Support for research is increasingly dependent upon the results of that research having relevance to society's needs and public benefits. This increase pressure to move research results out of the laboratory and into the user's hands. To facilitate this, a variety of technology transfer mechanisms have evolved to facilitate transfer of knowledge and processes. These mechanisms, in addition to their implied benefits for the researchers and the user, often have certain consequences which are unanticipated and cause transfer to fail or not meet expectations. Foremost, cultural change on the part of both private organizations and public laboratories is probably necessary to allow effective partnerships. Coupled with the transfer of knowledge is the opportunity to more effectively explain to society the benefits it receives for its investments in research. Such communication has not been especially successful for veterinary parasitology. However, the revolution in communication (e.g. rise of mass media, computer networks) presents new opportunities to parasitologists to more effectively communicate both technology and knowledge directly to the users, and also to inform supporters, policy-makers and the general public of the relevance and importance of veterinary parasitology in improving society's well-being. This review will discuss these new instruments of communication, the need to construct better messages, the benefits of technology transfer and the various means to meet the challenges associated with transferring research innovation to the user and the marketplace.
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, MD 20705, USA.
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Murrell
D000818:Animals; D003132:Commerce; D003142:Communication; D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D007256:Information Systems; D008402:Mass Media; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal; D010274:Parasitology; D012106:Research