Every fourth Russian thinks that the Russian science outpaces the world science but more funding is needed to make breakthroughs.
MOSCOW, February 5, 2018. The Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data of the study devoted to Russian Science Day.
The global science is currently on the rise, according to every second Russian (48%). Thirty-seven percent of respondents believe that the Russian science slightly lags behind; 15% say it lags behind considerably. On the contrary, 20% think that the Russian science slightly outpaces; 6% say it outpaces considerably.
To make a breakthrough, the Russian science needs more funding (50%); upgrading skills of the scientists is less important (33%).
Scientific discoveries of the recent decades are mainly related to defense (9%) and space industries (6%), healthcare (6%) and computer technologies (4%). However most of respondents (72%) fail to specify any.
There is a common view in the society that the direction of the development of science should be defined by the scientific community (43%) and not by the public authorities (23% vs 41% in 2013). At the same time, today more Russians consider that ordinary citizens should also participate in defining the scientific tasks (this share was 6% five years ago, and now it makes up 13%).
The VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on January 30-31, 2018. The survey involved 2,000 Russians aged 18 and over, and was carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.2%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
The 2013 results are based on household survey.
In your opinion, is science on the rise, stagnating or in decline in the modern world? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | ||||||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | Aged 60 and more | Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institution) | higher education | Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institution) | higher education |
On the rise: there are significant scientific discoveries which have an impact on society | 48 | 51 | 46 | 46 | 49 | 51 | 57 | 49 | 46 | 49 |
Stagnating: there are a number of discoveries but they do not have any impact on society | 28 | 38 | 34 | 34 | 24 | 20 | 14 | 27 | 25 | 32 |
In decline: there are no significant scientific discoveries which could affect the society | 8 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
Don’t know | 16 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 23 | 28 | 16 | 20 | 11 |
In your opinion, at what pace is the Russian modern science developing compared to the global science? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |||||||||||
| Total respon- dents | Moscow and St.Peters- burg | Million cities | More than 500 ths | 100–500 ths | Less than 100 ths | Rural area | Elemen- tary (incom- plete secon- dary) edu- cation | Secon- dary edu- cation (school, voca- tional school) | Specia- lized secon- dary edu- cation (technical school) | Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institution), higher education |
It has outpaced the develop- ment of the world science | 6 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 3 |
It is slightly outpacing | 20 | 12 | 14 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 29 | 24 | 22 | 16 |
It is slightly lagging behind the world science | 37 | 40 | 42 | 38 | 40 | 35 | 32 | 18 | 33 | 30 | 46 |
It is substan- tially lagging behind | 15 | 26 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 20 |
Don’t know | 22 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 19 | 23 | 27 | 40 | 22 | 26 | 15 |
Can you name the achievements of the Russian science of the recent decades? (open-ended question, not more than 3 answers, % of all respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
Arms / military machinery / defense industry | 9 |
Space / rocket engineering / space-launch sites / space exploration | 6 |
Medicine (medicines / medical equipment) | 6 |
Computer and digital technologies / computerization / smartphones / electronics | 4 |
Aviation / airplanes | 3 |
Cancer treatment | 2 |
Genetics (cloning / gene engineering) | 2 |
Robotic engineering | 2 |
Technical equipment, production | 1 |
Internet / mobile communication | 1 |
Nanotechnologies | 1 |
Collider | 1 |
Physics | 1 |
Ship building | 1 |
Agriculture / breeding | 1 |
Chemistry / discovery of new substances | 1 |
Biology | 1 |
Organ transplantation | 1 |
Other | 5 |
Don’t know | 72 |
There are different opinions on what hampers the development of the Russian science today. Some people point to insufficient funding not allowing the Russian scientists to make breakthroughs. Others think that Russian scientists have low level of skills. In your opinion, what plays a crucial role in the development of the Russian science? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Elementary (incomplete secondary) education | Secondary education (school, vocational school) | Specialized secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institution), higher education | |
Funding should be increased. This is what could help the Russian scientists to make breakthroughs | 50 | 41 | 48 | 49 | 52 | |
Skills of the Russian scientists should be improved. Capital inflow alone cannot tackle the issue | 33 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | |
Don’t know | 17 | 25 | 19 | 18 | 15 | |
In your opinion, who is to decide what tasks the Russian science should solve, in what direction it should develop? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of all respondents) | ||
| 2013 | 2018 |
Scientists, scientific community | 44 | 43 |
State, public bodies | 41 | 23 |
Public, ordinary citizens | 6 | 13 |
Business, big businessmen | 2 | 4 |
Other | 1 | 3 |
Don’t know | 6 | 14 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!