National Survey of Research and Experimental Development - Statistical Report (2015/16)

This Statistical Report presents data tables from the 2015/16 South African National Survey of Research and Experimental Development (R&D survey). The report provides key findings of the survey with commentary and standard summary tables of the overall findings from 2015/16, along with time series data from previous instances of the survey. The Statistical Report is published together with the Main Analysis Report, which provides selected analysis of survey data.
The survey covers the following institutional sectors that perform R&D in South Africa:
• The business enterprise sector, comprising all size classes of enterprises, including state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
• The government sector, comprising departments in the three spheres of national, provincial and local government with an R&D component, government research institutions and museums.
• The higher education sector, comprising all public higher education institutions and private higher education institutions with an R&D component.
• The not-for-profit sector, comprising non-governmental and other organisations formally registered as not-for-profit institutions.
• The science council sector, comprising the nine science councils established through Acts of Parliament.
This approach is followed in order to maintain consistency with the institutional sector categorisation recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in The Measurement of Scientific and Technological Activities: Proposed Standard Practice for Surveys on Research and Experimental Development, known as the Frascati Manual (OECD, 2002), and to adjust for the South African situation, which demands a split of government into a government sector and a science councils sector.