Abstract

After clarifying the concepts of "science" and of "planning" six aspects of planning are discussed, dealing with the time scale, with the interdependence of various systems, with the probability Interpretation of plans, with the dichotomy of quantity and quality, with who should plan, and with the balance between planning, decision making, and implementation. This is followed by an overview of input planning for manpower, finances, buildings and equipment, organizations, research, assessment and evaluation, and the linking of science with its environment. Then output planning is discussed and some of the main difficulties in it are listed. The discussion ends with a "checklist" of 16 features of planning that often go wrong in practice and which therefore should be paid attention to in order to make planning a creative component in the development of science, especially in the Third World.