| Problem. Between 1949 and 1989, Hungarian scientific researchers belonged to a Soviet-East European information enclave but were largely excluded from world scholarly communication. The purpose of this study was to create a snapshot view of Hungarian research in 1991 and of the changes since Hungary's Fall 1989 departure from the Soviet bloc. The study explored three problems: inadequate financial support, insufficient researcher foreign language skills, and political restrictions on information and technology transfer.;Procedures. The investigator conducted structured interviews with 15 researchers, 9 librarians, and 10 government officials in Hungary, and surveyed an additional 17 researchers. Analysis of 25 documents, consisting of selected libraries' annual reports, Hungarian and U.S. government documents, World Bank reports, and journal articles supplied complementary data. Three citation studies examined the languages in which Hungarian scientists publish findings.;Results. Government financial support for research has declined since Fall 1989, though Hungarian Academy of Sciences and government ministry units have fared better than universities or private agencies. In 1991, researchers suffer from salaries below world levels, outdated technology, inadequate library funding, and insufficient hard currency for equipment and travel. Yet conference attendance is stable or increased. And researchers report success in obtaining needed information, few complain of poor computer support, and most claim better access to bibliographic databases since 1989. The study supplied evidence that Hungarian researchers perceive English as the primary language in scientific communication; study respondents demonstrated widespread and growing command of English. Since Fall 1989, Western restrictions on technology and information have decreased and fewer political appointees direct Hungarian research units.;Conclusions. The Hungarian research community in 1991 is unstable as the government continues to cut financial support and to plan systemic changes. But the 1949-1989 East Bloc-USSR information enclave no longer exists. Hungary is gaining better access to the West and to its Central European neighbors, while losing some access to the USSR; linguistic isolation is ebbing. |
