ABSTRACTThe potential social values and benefits of sxi widely different research projects were described systematically, using a checklist and description form that addressed 10 different general aims of research and 47 subcategories (items) of benefit.The checklists and descriptions were given to 280 persons at nine centers in five countries as the information base for making scaled judgements of the projects’ potential value to society, overall and along each of the 10 major dimensions and 47 items. For this purpose, 100‐point Likert‐type scales were used. The raters also used a constrained allocation procedure to indicate what proportion of the public funds available for research they would allocate for research (not service) in each of the 10 main areas. The primary focus was on developing and testing the instruments and taking a preliminary look at differences in value systems. We emphatically didnotenvisage a sur‐vey of public opnionnora definitive statement as to the values that are held by any particular segment of society. Such studies would, in the absence of preliminary trials, be pr