A BIOGRAPHIC INVENTORY OF SCHOLARS

CHARLES R. DECHERT

The Biographic Inventory system was designed within the context of the Inter-University Committee on Research and Policy Studies (ICR). It was intended to provide a simple and flexible means of identifying scholars who had indicated their willingness to make their knowledge available to the Church in America and who might provide the expertise necessary for inter-institutional, interdisciplinary research. The biographic questionnaire is directed primarily, though not exclusively, to scientists, humanistic scholars and other professionals with advanced training, usually at the doctoral level, and with a record of scholarly publication. In addition to the usual basic biographic data--age, personal status, educational and occupational history --the respondents are asked to volunteer additional information relevant to their skills, ethnicity, religion, and associational activities.

The questionnaire was distributed to the faculty of The Catholic University of America and a random sample of respondents and non-respondents were interviewed to determine their reactions. Approximately 25% of the faculty responded, principally senior faculty (about 33% of the full professors) with strong records of professional accomplishment. Follow-up interviews revealed that the questionnaire was generally acceptable and well adapted to identify precisely those achievement-oriented scientists and professionals to whom it was directed. As a result of this study it was decided that the initial distribution of the questionnaire should be primarily at research-oriented institutions.

This first edition of the Inventory has been produced by asking the cooperation of the larger American Catholic institutions having advanced degree programs to whose faculty and staff questionnaires were sent. The Catholic learned societies distributed the questionnaire to their members. A very limited number of scholars at other universities and research institutes also received questionnaires. Over l,500 scholars are included.

In designing the questionnaire the experience in biographic data collection and analysis of the staff of the American Catholic Who's Who proved most useful. The Computer Center of The Catholic University of America provided invaluable counsel and support in developing the computer software and providing technical services.

Rather than following the narrative biographic format hallowed by Who's Who, this Biographic Inventory system makes its data available in the form of a highly synoptic 132 character line of computer printout which is subsequently reproduced by offset for distribution to the members of the ICR. The printout is designed to provide a maximum of useful information in one line, as far as possible in plain language. In addition to the double spaced initial sort of the l,500 scholars by name on pages 1-53 of this Directory there is a single-spaced geographic sort by United States Region and Diocese (Column 53-55) on pages 53-80, and another single-spaced sort by basic professional specialty (column 38-40) on pages 80-107.

If one is looking, for example, for a biochemist with a strong professional background and a knowledge of French and Spanish, he would look in the printout by profession (serially listed by number in column 38-40) at those persons designated 100. Then placing a straightedge alongside columns 69-70, 72-73, 75-76, he can note language skills (FR and SP in this case); alongside column 78 and column 80 the number of books and articles respectively (9 in either column means 9 or more); in columns 82 and 84-91 the highest degree level and degree-granting institution.

The printout by diocese (column 53-55) facilitates local and regional identification and should prove particularly valuable to educational institutions or church leaders interested in identifying talent and expertise in their own geographic areas or in setting up inter-institutional and/or interdisciplinary projects on a local or regional basis. The printout often provides sufficient information to stimulate and facilitate direct contact with a scholar as resource person or source of information or of analysis.

The rigidly columnar format of the printed Directory is Procrustean. It facilitates legibility and secondary sorts, but often it requires truncating a name or using an abbreviation (usually self-evident or easily deducible in context). In the first edition the abbreviations for occupations and institutions are not always the same, sometimes owing to exigencies of space, sometimes owing to the development of coding conventions over time. As far as possible and where feasible abbreviations have been made uniform.

Increasing interest has been shown by members of the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) in using this biographical inventory system outside the United States to facilitate their research and service role on a national and regional basis and to develop further the international interdisciplinary research efforts IFCU initiated in January, 1976. In the longer run, this inventory system should facilitate and hence encourage an increase in the exchange of professors and students among IFCU institutions. For this reason subsequent editions of this Inventory could use a revised diocese code that reflects a global perspective.

In the early stages of developing this system it was assumed that the sort of specialties code employed in the past by the United States National Science Foundation for its periodic censuses would be available for other academic and professional specialties. Inquiries at the U. S. Department of Labor (Dictionary of Occupational Titles). National Research Council, Bureau of the Cen sus, and a variety of learned societies quickly showed that none of these had codified the full range of scholarly disciplines at the level of aggregation needed.

Accordingly it was necessary to develop a specialties list for this Biographic Inventory system. It should be comprehensive, covering all fields of knowledge at a level of specificity higher than that used by the Department of Labor or Bureau of the Census. Secondly, it should be reasonably acceptable to workers in the field. The detailed NSF breakdown at the three-digit rather than five-digit level of aggregation seemed a logical point of departure. This was a tried and true, consensually accepted morphology of the physical sciences and mathematics, the life sciences and the social and behavioral sciences. It was adopted with minor modifications.

The very limited National Research Council morphology was amplified for the humanities by employing the Library of Congress Classification System, the Dewey Decimal System (less useful for this purpose), and typical university curriculum offerings. The American Society for Engi neering Education was most helpful for engineering specialties and any such specialty offered in four or more United States institutions in the fall of 1975 is included in the list. The Libr ary of the American M edical Association cooperated in providing morphologies of medical specialties which were put together with other health-related professions.

Specialties lists in Engineering, Arch itecture, Lan guage and Li terature, His tory, Visual A rts, M usic, Dra ma, Ph ilosophy, Reli gious Studies, L aw, and Education were sent to the appropriate schools and departments of The Catholic University of America for critical comment on (a) adequacy: it covers the field; (b) balance: the sub-specialties are at about the same level of institutional emphasis; (c) acceptability: in accord with professional thinking in the field. Most of the departments and schools surveyed found the morphologies unexceptionable or made minor suggestions, normally incorporated in the final version. The School of Mus ic sharpened and shortened the initial morphology suggested to them, while the School of Religious Studies suggested the morphology which is found below in the Specialties List. It may be hoped that the Joint Committee of the Catholic Learned Societies and Scholars will devote some attention to this question of the morphology of Religious Studies with its possible consequences for curriculum and curriculum development.

A complete moderate-sized university might be formed, in theory at least, by appointing a professor in each of the some 400 specialties listed at this level of aggregation. Such a morphology has major implications for the thrust and emphasis of the disciplines, career opportunities in them, and the institutionalization of expertise. It is probably for this reason that it was necessary to develop morphologies for many disciplinary areas where a consensus on appropriate subdivisions is difficult to achieve.

Overall, on the basis of a year's use, the Specialties List has held up well. The next major test of the Specialties List will be its employment outside the United States. Preliminary assessments indicate that little difficulty will be encountered in the scientific and technical categories while some modification and extension may be appropriate in those areas more intimately associated with the diverse cultural traditions of the various parts of the world.

The American Church is moving toward a clearer definition, understanding and appreciation of the role of the intellectual worker in its corporate life. To a large extent its educational institutions and intellectually trained members outside the areas of traditional philosophical and religious studies have simply reflected their disciplinary "mainstream" as taught at the major universities. The time may well be mature for a manifold effort to bring Christian religious, philosophical, cultural, and artistic traditions into a constructive synthesis with the mainstream of contemporary thought, especially in the sciences. Colloquia and symposia planned or already held are looking at the various disciplines in terms of their content, institutional structure, and the explicit or implicit values governing them as related to the doctrine, ethical commitment and interests of the Christian community. Another series of planned colloquia examines more closely specific policy issues concerned with development, social justice, and human rights.

It may be hoped that the colleges and universities will devote increasing attention and resources to activities that will affirm intellect informed by the Christian tradition through research, special programs, conferences and symposia. Many areas requiring focused intellectual effort are suggested in the ICR Newsletters. Smaller Catholic colleges and cultural institutions, drawing on their own and regional resources may wish to address these at the local level.

Perhaps the greatest utility of this Directory to the single bishops and local Churches is in providing easy access to scientific and technical expertise. Increasingly, questions of ethics and public policy arise on which Church leaders are asked, and at times even obliged, to make pronouncements. Appreciation of the ramifications and implications of alternative positions may require detailed knowledge or special training. Using this Directory one would normally look first to the scholars listed in the diocese or region. It may be possible to identify the person able to help by the plain-language job title. Or, one may determine the professional specialty he needs, look up the appropriate number in the printout by specialty, and select someone on the basis of the credentials indicated and the location. The preferred address in the printout make mail or telephone contact easy.

Those who have returned the questionnaire have indicated a willingness to serve on a "limited ad hoc basis." They are available for consultation and may on occasion donate their services or counsel. An honorarium may be appropriate for more extended consultation or research requiring substantial effort. Thus, participants in the ICR colloquia noted above have volunteered their services, although it is anticipated that the longer term, focussed research projects resulting from many of these colloquia will receive foundation or other support.

In some cases, as areas of research interest develop, university faculties or departments may seek resources to develop seminars or specialized programs focussed on these topics. The provision of fellowships and assistantships can help an institution attract high calibre students with relevant interests. In many cases senior scholars can provide sound guidance on how to serve the Christian community through funding focussed intellectual effort.

This Inventory is an initial effort. Despite its early stage of development, this Inventory already points up the breadth of skills, excellence of preparation, and high intellectual productivity of the faculty in leading American Catholic colleges and universities sensitive to the needs of the Church. It is hoped that research scholars, educators, and leaders of the Church will make increasing use of this instrument; recommend productive scholars whose names do not appear here; and provide criticism and suggestions to improve its format, coding, and specialties list.

The Catholic University of America

Washington, D.C.