Dynamics of the site visit. Laboratory for the small group study of scientific administration

Site visits are conducted by National Institutes of Health review groups when obstacles arise in peer appraisal of research projects. Because such visits provide a window into the state of a scientific community and present highly charged group dynamics that revolve about significant scientific issues, examples from the 1970s and 1980s were subjected to behavioral analysis. Selye's general adaptation syndrome was used to model the forms of coping behavior manifested by investigators targeted for a site visit. A Lewinian approach was taken to analyze the course and outcome of site visit team deliberations. The perspective was that of the NIH official responsible for the operation of the review process.