Paper short abstract:

This study monitors a multi-dimensional aspect of social barriers associated with transnational knowledge circulation by examining policy reports and interviews with micro-level actors.

Paper long abstract:

As social constructivists of scientific knowledge argue, knowledge is socially produced and circulated. That is, the production of knowledge occurs within the boundaries of a social relationship. As a result, social obstacles prevent knowledge from freely circulating, and from this social activity, actors such as scientists, institutions, and governments negotiate their gains. Based on the theoretical frame of STS and Bourdieu's concept of habitus, this research focused on multi-dimensional approach to explain international collaborative research in Korea. As methodologies, content analysis of reports published by national scientific policy research agencies and a case study of scientists and an administrative official who work or used to work for national materials and mechanical research institutes in Korea were used. Policy reports illustrated low level of international research collaboration in Korea and indicated structural problems such as definitions and evaluations of international research collaboration. Interviews with scientists in the field of materials and mechanical engineering suggested administrative culture, technological gap, Intellectual Property Rights as major barriers for collaborations. Finally, interview with an administrative member indicated limits of resources, size of research funding, and conflicts of interest as factors hampering international research collaboration. Exploring three approaches from policy researchers, scientists, and administrative member showed multi-dimensional aspects of social barriers associating with international research collaboration in Korea.