This article discusses the methodological foundations and the practical applications of the indicators based on the Frascati Manual for allocating research resources, it also studies the historical evolution and development of this manual since its formation in the 1960’s. More recent developments will also be put into consideration and some of the initiatives and propositions concerning better methodologies and more comprehensive indicators will be introduced. Throughout the discussion, we will observe that in the recent years, some kind of methodological shifts have been occurred from classical indicators which were based on input/output emphasizing on the measurement of efficiency and the impact of research towards the more recent positioning indicators which seek to position the actors in the national systems of innovation and to recognize the links and flows of resources among them.
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