Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

This qualitative project sought to provide an analysis of the 'brain drain' debate of the 1950s and 1960s as a social phenomenon. The term 'brain drain' was adopted in the 1960s in the context of concerns the United Kingdom was losing skilled scientific and engineering personnel to other countries. Although the term is used in a variety of academic, policy and popular discussions about the international mobility of scientists, this project sought to rectify the absence of scholarly literature analysing the original 'brain drain' debate. The dataset comprises of 19 oral history interviews with scientists and engineers who emigrated to the United States or Canada in the 1950s or 1960s as well as British policymakers involved in any way in the 'brain drain' debate at this time. Also included is the transcript of a 'witness seminar' that brought officials and former emigres together to discuss their recollections. Further information on the dataset is available at the project's web site or ESRC funding award web page.

Main Topics:

Scientific migration; brain drain; popular science; engineering; cold war.

Purposive selection/case studies

Face-to-face interview

Telephone interview

Also includes a witness seminar (panel discussion)