Scientific research should be carried out and controlled by the governments rather than private companies.
Do you agree or disagree?
There is no doubt that scientific breakthroughs have revolutionized our lives in various way; nonetheless, the question of who should pay for and evaluate scientific research remains a controversial topic. It is believed by some that the governments should be the one that needs to fund and control scientific studies rather than the the private sector. While I agree that the states should scrutinize the research process, I believe that industry could join hands with authorities to foot the bill for science.
On the one hand, there are several reasons why I believe that research into science should be funded in partnership with or by the private sector. First, if private investment is allowed, it will help to ease the pressure on the state’s budget that is already tight, which, in turn will allow the government to have more money to finance other significant domains such as education and healthcare. Second, as the aim of most companies is to maximize their profits, the studies financially supported by these firms tend to be more efficient and quicker compared to the lengthy process of publicly funded research. As a result, more inventions and new products with advanced and improved features and lower price could be released into the market, benefiting consumers in general. Tesla is a prime example whose research has successfully led to the creation of modern electric cars that are affordable and environmentally friendly.
On the other hand, I believe that governments should be the watchdog of the research process to ensure the reliability and validity of scientific research. This measure can deter private organizations from conducting poor research and generating biased results in favour of their marketing strategies. For example, pharmaceutical companies often sponsor clinical trials that support their products. Moreover, the private partners hardly ever release information that might compromise its profits, and therefore, the involvement of the government in the research process can help to alleviate such problem. Clearly, research should be evaluated largely on its scientific merits rather than the affiliations of those involved and thus, state control could increase the transparency and the quality of research, thus helping to alleviate bias concerns in the public.
In conclusion, I believe that governments should utilize the financial resource of the private sector to conduct scientific research that can benefit the public but they should monitor the research process closely and carefully to ensure the validity of the findings