Summary: American taxpayers invested more than $60 billion in military and civilian research and development projects in 1996. The private sector spent more than $110 billion that same year. The technological advancements stemming from these efforts have helped improve the productivity of American workers and, correspondingly, the nation's standard of living. However, although the contributions of research and development to technological advancement are generally recognized, there is no widely accepted method of measuring the outcome of that research. This report evaluates the various indicators that are used to measure the results of research and development. Specifically, GAO discusses the strengths and limitations of the input and output indicators used by the federal and private sectors to measure the results of research and development. GAO also provides a historical perspective on spending for research. GAO summarized this report in testimony before Congress; see: Measuring Performance: Challenges in Evaluating Research and Development, by Allen Li, Associate Director for Energy, Resources, and Science Issues, before the Subcommittee on Technology, House Committee on Science (GAO/T-RCED-97-130, Apr. 10).
