Dai Bin | Tasks, Strategies, and Methods for the Year of Scientific Research Quality Improvement

In the 15 years since its establishment, we have discussed various situations and strategic issues, such as ideological construction, discipline construction, academic achievements, data production, cooperation networks, international and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan exchanges, academic promotion, team building, etc., in conjunction with the theme party day and mid year work meeting. We have initially formed a professional think tank construction outline with the characteristics of China Tourism Research Institute. This year is the year of improving scientific research quality, with a focus on researching strategies, tactics, and methods for promoting high-quality development of tourism theory and data. For the convenience of understanding and memory, these practical experiences and mistakes can be summarized into several "three three systems".

Research achievements and experience gained in the 15 years since the establishment of the institute

Improved the contemporary tourism development theory centered on the people, holiday tourism statistics and tourism economic monitoring and early warning paradigms, and the "18X" landmark achievement system. Every institution has its original intention and mission. In reflecting the "three determinations" issued by the staffing and organizational departments, what is the original intention and mission of the research institute? Under the strong leadership of the Party Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, we are building a people-centered tourism development theory and a data system that serves the high-quality development of the tourism industry, and are dedicated to safeguarding the people's tourism rights. This is the highest guideline and also a guide for action. To pursue knowledge on platforms with Chinese characters and national names, one must obey the call of the Party and the state, serve the needs of the people, rather than the interests of circles or small collectives, and certainly not for personal fame and fortune. For the country and the people, those who learn greatly should speak clearly and practice diligently. At this point, don't be afraid of others calling me energetic. In 2009, during the first party building activity and cadre and staff conference of the entire institution, we visited the former residence of Li Dazhao in Leting, Hebei Province. We recited the words' iron shoulders bear morality, skillful hands handle articles' and proposed for the first time the construction of the '18X' achievement system, which we have persisted in until now.

Established the China Tourism Science Annual Conference, China Tourism Group Development Forum, and brand academic activities such as urban tourism, summer tourism, ice and snow tourism, night economy, study tours, and elderly health care. In 2008, the research institute was just established, and the theoretical learning center group of the former National Tourism Administration Party Group studied. I went to give a lecture on the value orientation and policy choices of mass tourism, and for the first time proposed the theory of people-centered development of mass tourism. Due to insufficient theoretical preparation and work experience, it did not become a consensus among the tourism leadership at that time. It was not until the 2016 Government Work Report proposed "welcoming a new era of mass tourism" that it came to an end. Since then, we have been determined to build two dialogue platforms for academia and industry, as well as a platform for publishing a series of achievements later on. Looking back, without these mechanisms and platforms, no one would listen to us when we speak, and even if we listen, we cannot form a consensus.

Trained three teams for theoretical research, data production, and administrative support. Without a theoretical foundation and data support, policy research cannot go far, and the political, industrial, and academic sectors will not recognize you as a national team. At the beginning of its establishment, there was not much room for selection in the recruitment process. The first batch recruited six comrades, including the second and third batches, mostly from universities. The advantage is that they have received systematic academic training, and in the words of the old gentleman, "they all have branches and vines". They are also good at theoretical explanation and problem analysis. The disadvantage is that they lack practical experience in solving problems and do not have fame and reputation. They are easily underestimated by the government, industry, academia, and research sectors. Even if it is a local tourism development planning and policy consulting project, they dare not go out on site without inviting an old comrade. In order to solve this problem, the research institute has made up its mind to build its own data system and administrative team. With data and support, it gradually becomes tough to speak up. The data center did not only exist on December 3, 2015. It was the day when the former National Tourism Administration received approval from the Central Compilation Office and officially listed it in the Multi functional Hall of Building 1. We have been working on this since the establishment of the institute, and it is currently the project with the largest budget and resources invested each year. In the future, we will continue to increase investment until we completely solve the "data shortage phobia".

A comprehensive quality control system has been established for the entire process of group proposal, mid-term inspection, and final review. Whether it is a vertical or horizontal project, it is not an individual behavior, but a new scientific research model that draws on the experience and lessons of philosophy and social science research in universities, and resolutely follows the guidance of listed supervisors, team leaders, and collective research. At the beginning of major projects, experienced research and administrative teams are gathered to listen to the technical roadmap and schedule arrangements of the project leader and implementation team, and provide targeted opinions and suggestions, so that the project and project have solid theoretical support and organizational guarantee from the beginning. A system of brainstorming should also be established for general projects, running through the entire process from proposal opening to project completion. In this process, everyone is not just giving suggestions and telling the execution team that this is not good or that is not good. Instead, they need to put forward their opinions, contribute data, and solve problems. In short, everyone should have specific contributions.

We have established three platforms: a postdoctoral workstation, a tourism economy laboratory, and a literature and information center. Since its establishment, although the functions have been continuously increasing and efforts have been made to increase staffing, the number of positions has remained at 35. We are precious to every person we recruit, every day we tremble and fear planting a seedling blindly. The Party group of the department listened to the work report of the institute in the first half of the year and included the addendum in the meeting minutes, but there are still many difficulties to achieve this goal in the short term. Waiting was not a solution, so the idea of recruiting postdoctoral fellows arose. With the support of the former National Tourism Administration, this matter was completed in 2013, which is equivalent to giving us an unlimited staffing space! With people, we need a platform and the conditions to do things. With the support of the National Development and Reform Commission, we have established the first key laboratory of the tourism system based on the data center construction project. We have also set up a literature and information center and a Chinese tourism review editorial department, and regularly publish Chinese tourism big data internal journals. Now it seems to have played a big role! Without these platforms, with so few personnel, it would be even more like a little frog wearing cotton pants, unable to kick open.

We have established three platforms: tourism reference, big data, and Chinese tourism reviews. I still remember that the theme of the first internal consultation was about post disaster reconstruction in Wenchuan, and it was still under construction in Building 711. There was no research team or data support, but I felt that the country needed it and it was imperative. Time waits for no one. I wrote the first editor's note under the name of editor in chief, 'As a scholar, there is nothing else to serve the country except for a pen like a knife.' This is also the most simple ideal when I was young. Objectively speaking, given the conditions at that time, it was not an easy task to persist in publishing every two weeks. The leaders also kindly reminded us, "Is it possible to publish it irregularly, so that we can leave room?" After careful consideration, we persevered and persevered. With the addition of the internal publication "China Tourism Big Data" and the editorial "China Tourism Review", a "trinity" theoretical promotion platform has finally been formed. In addition to the official website, official microblog, WeChat official account and service account, a unique publicity matrix of the Institute has been formed. Without this matrix, if one wants to make their own voice and promote their ideas, they will be at the mercy of others everywhere. Just like the persistent construction of data systems and theoretical achievements, publicity platforms also need to have their own. Having parents is not as good as having one's own. It's better to have one's own rice bowl, and it must contain one's own food.

The situation and tasks of tourism science research in 02

This is an era that requires theory and is sure to generate theory, this is an era that requires ideas and is sure to generate ideas. Compared to the beginning of its establishment, the development environment of the tourism industry has undergone fundamental changes, marked by the comprehensive development of mass tourism entering a new stage. People's tourism rights have been unprecedentedly demonstrated, and tourists have widely entered the production, life, and leisure spaces of urban and rural residents. Culture, technology, education, and capital constitute a new driving force for the high-quality development of the tourism industry. The deep integration of culture and tourism also urgently requires new development concepts, new data systems, and new market entities that are adapted to the new era, as well as new scientific research methods and organizational innovations. For tourism researchers and theorists in the new era, it is important to understand that it is the era and the people, not any specific institution or individual, who are giving us questions. Answerers cannot simply provide explanations and suggestions. Where should China's tourism industry go, how should it go, and what should it do in the new era? The government and industry are waiting for our answers, and the academic community is also waiting for our exploration results. In this sense, we have entered a state of no man's land, facing unprecedented challenges and historical opportunities that all philosophical and social science workers with historical consciousness dream of. Research institutes should also adhere to a problem oriented approach, self pressure, enhance their abilities, scientifically answer the questions of the people and the times regarding tourism development, and promote the practice of ideas through practical thinking. As long as the team moves forward in the right direction, it will definitely live up to the times and the journey.

We also need to face the long-term risks and practical challenges of sustainable development, especially the lack of thinking, insufficient capacity, insufficient data, and unstable financial security mechanisms, which must be highly valued and addressed with efforts. Whether it is an institution or an individual, whether they can stick to their original intention and mission after achieving small success, and whether they can maintain a running state, are the biggest risks and also the issues that torment the entrepreneurial founding team and prevent them from sleeping. For research institutes, the risk of "lying flat" due to ideological laziness, loss of beliefs, reluctance to fight, and unwillingness to innovate always exists. Can having ideals keep up with the times? not always. Compared with the requirements of the Party and the state, and the expectations of both academia and industry, the risk of insufficient ability always exists. Can the ability of senior researchers to create new fields and cultivate new teams continue to improve day by day? Can the brand of theory, data, and administrative backbone leave the research institute independently and gain recognition from international, domestic, and various sectors of society? To be honest, I can't give a definite answer right now. The dean and director have different levels, and the senior and deputy senior positions receive treatment, but they must not be regarded as officials, let alone feel that they carry the brand of bureau level, department level, senior, deputy senior, doctoral, or master's degree, which makes them feel great. Without corresponding qualifications, achievements, and influence, will the cultural and tourism system, tourism industry, governments at all levels, and international and domestic academic circles recognize you from the bottom of their hearts? With the development of the times and industrial progress, new requirements are being put forward every day for tourism statistics theory and data system, both overall and structural; There are both frequency and granularity; There are both administrative work and market innovation. There is also a financial security mechanism, and compared to the expenditure budget for survival and development, fiscal appropriations only account for a small proportion. How small is it? Simply put, it means' giving a tie and buying a suit to match '. I also know the truth that 'university is about masters, not buildings', but without buildings, can masters come? I'm here, can I stay? So difficult! I can't sleep well every day. For fifteen years, trying to solve financial security problems has taken up too much of our energy, just to find a permanent solution. Now it seems that we may never find the most satisfactory answer.

High level academic research and high-quality theoretical construction require more peers to build different types of communities with common ideals and continuously expand their circle of friends. Since its establishment, we have been striving to build two communities of tourism academia and tourism groups, as well as two collaborative networks of tourism data and global tourism think tanks. After fifteen years of effort, the first three have basically taken shape, but they are still very unstable. The international cooperation network is not yet on a large scale. The tourism academic community supported by branches, research bases, and scientific conferences was launched earlier. Commissioned by the Party Group of the former National Tourism Administration, it carried out ministerial level scientific research projects and awards, greatly mobilizing the enthusiasm of universities to participate. But I have been worried that this is borrowed power, and administrative agencies may revoke it at any time. Once there is no project approval and award, can we continue to unite and lead tens of thousands of "green pepper (young teachers)" and "barley (young researchers)" to move forward? Starting from the autumn of 2018, this challenge has become increasingly prominent. Fortunately, with reputation and influence, the vast majority are still willing to work together. Can tourism groups, investment institutions, and various market entities continue to maintain their position today without the annual meeting of tourism groups, the release of the top 20, tourism thinkers, or the establishment of similar platforms by government agencies and bureaus? Can the cultural and tourism data cooperation network continue to maintain its advantages in computing technology, data sources, and personnel training, and empower the community? If we cannot effectively answer the above questions, then it can be imagined that 'watching him rise from a high-rise building, watching him entertain guests, watching his building collapse', leaving only some historical materials for future generations to mourn.

03 Steadily promote the strategy of improving scientific research quality

Guiding ideology, firmly grasping the position, viewpoint, and method of the latest achievements in the sinicization of Marxism. The position is under the leadership of the Party, with the people at the center, serving the industry, and serving the country. Under the strong leadership of the Party group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, we unite and lead the tourism academic community, focus on the center, serve the overall situation, promote the deep integration of culture and tourism, and promote the high-quality development of the tourism industry. This is the original intention and mission of the research institute (data center). Without this political stance, there would be no national team dedicated to tourism theory research, and no strategic determination to 'walk in a leisurely court regardless of the wind and waves'. The viewpoint refers to the original ideas formed by the research institute based on independent data and collective discussions, rather than news summaries or copywriting excerpts from quack writers. This viewpoint should have warmth, strength, and logic - from demand to supply, from market to government, from micro to macro logic. Such a view is not to "the final say", but to "say it right". The method refers to the integration of historical and logical processes, methods of tourism statistics and big data, methods of practical induction and theoretical abstraction, and methods of logical construction of conceptual development. It should be noted that these methods are not meant to be boasted about by government officials and industry friends, such as "you see, I am a systematically trained expert and scholar", nor are they repeatedly trained in intellectual gymnastics, but rather a logical unfolding process that is internalized and externalized.

When writing articles, producing data, and giving speeches, attention should be paid to reasoning, textual research, and rhetoric. The power of theory and the beauty of logic should be reflected, convincing people with reason and moving people with beauty. Yi Li is a viewpoint, whether it is introducing new ideas, pointing out new problems, or proposing new strategies, it requires clear viewpoints and expressing them in a lively and vivid form. Do not swallow warm water or thin soup, do not sound like you have all the ingredients, but have no idea how to make them. In the past few years, we have put forward a series of original viewpoints, such as "sharing between hosts and guests, bringing joy from afar", "the people-oriented nature of mass tourism, the modernization of smart tourism, the future sense of green tourism, and the worldview of civilized tourism", "the new era of tourism work should be transferred to cities", "cultural construction and tourism development are all to meet the needs of the people for a better life", "every effort of the government can be felt by tourists", etc., which have become a concept that operators use without realizing it. The requirement for textual research is that the speech should be based on evidence and the data should have a source. The viewpoints that are reasonable, well founded, and innovative will eventually be accepted by readers. We cannot just open our mouths for the sake of traffic or keep talking unremarkably just to attract attention. The requirements for a dictionary are that the text should be vivid and airy, dense and impenetrable, sparse and easy to run, not dead fish eyes, and not easily dropped from the book bag. How to do it? It is still necessary to take time to read more classic works of Marxism, such as the Book of Songs, the Strategies of War, the Analects, Gu Wen Guan Zhi, and the Records of the Grand Historian. Visit museums, art galleries, and modern art galleries, listen to music, opera, and special lectures, and draw nourishment from traditional cultural arts from ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad. Zeng Guofan once said, 'For thousands of years, I have been the only one left, and after returning from a hundred battles, I will study again.' After half a lifetime of studying, he finally realized that history and philosophy are nothing more than that. Reading is not a dead end. You should experience and sublimate in your achievements. Without the experience of "360 days a year, always fight at once", Yue Fei could not write the famous Man Jianghong for thousands of years.

Organizational construction, continuously promoting the research and innovation model of the team focusing on strategy, the research institute focusing on construction, and the project team leading the team. In daily work and major project research, while resolutely implementing organizational intentions and completing strategic deployments, we will maximize the enthusiasm and creativity of every key researcher. To this end, we must continue to strengthen the construction of model research institutes and continue to demand and burden the director. To be honest, this is not an easy task. Everyone has similar educational backgrounds, ages, resumes, and research abilities, and even faces competition when it comes to project applications, hat applications, and opportunities for growth and progress. What should I do? It's about giving more, dedicating more, and taking less than others. Many times, fame and fortune go, talent comes; Fame and fortune gather, but the team disperses. It's impossible to break through the personal fame and fortune barrier and still want to lead a good team and create an entrepreneurial and innovative team. I have repeatedly requested the director and senior researchers in large groups to achieve "two as much as possible and one as necessary", that is, when participating in non-governmental organization forums, lectures, evaluations and other activities, they should make the most of weekends and vacation time, bring young scholars, visiting scholars and postdoctoral fellows as much as possible, and make sure to write good speeches and prepare courseware. When conducting tourism internal reference, major projects, and data reports, be sure to bring a team, especially young scholars, for collective discussion. The first draft submitted must be personally modified, and do not "copy paste", but insist on handwriting. At least revise the printed draft with a pen. The reason for making this request is based on an understanding of human nature. Everyone has a lazy mentality, and there is no trace of revisions on the computer, and it is easy to slip over at a glance. To grow, one must compete with oneself. Only in this way can we set a good example for young people and make them feel that following you can lead to growth. Many academic institutions and literary groups have famous scholars and also have requirements for mentoring. Why hasn't their overall combat power improved? I think it is largely related to the fact that famous experts are busy walking around. If famous experts still occupy administrative resources and do not serve the team, then the team cannot be built and will quickly disperse.

For young scholars, including postdoctoral fellows, visiting scholars, and faculty members, organizational training cannot replace individual efforts, and they must not have the mindset of relying on others. Some comrades do research, get used to tasks, rely on guidance, and require materials and data. Of course, organizations and platforms will provide necessary support, but have we ever thought about it? If these conditions are met, is it still your turn? In this era of mass tourism, the government and industry are giving us questions every day. Walking out of the courtyard of No. 9, there are materials, data, and connections everywhere. Why not take the initiative to embrace them? Within 24 issues of a year, one blue book on tourism economy and eight reports were distributed to each researcher. The workload over the course of a year is not significant, as long as one puts in the effort and dedication, there is no reason why high-quality results cannot be achieved. This is not a task assigned by the dean, but an opportunity for every young scholar and theoretical worker to grow. Don't underestimate any position or task. If an organization gives you a certain field or direction, it is giving you the future. Just like the students who graduated from the Anti Japanese University in the past, carrying tasks, maps, and pistols, they marched in groups of three or five towards the anti Japanese battlefield, opening up the situation and leading out a company, which was the company commander, and a regiment, which was the regimental commander. If they failed, they would have sacrificed their lives for the country. I hope that theoretical workers in the new era also have the same determination. Without experiencing countless mountains, hardships, and countless words, they can expand their knowledge with just a PhD title. It is impossible.

Team building focuses on cultivating three high-quality and highly capable professional teams in theoretical research, data production, and administrative support. For each member of the team, the first step is to improve their overall quality and ability to operate independently. Faced with the main battlefield of theoretical construction, policy research, and industrial services, even if there is no one around them, they can complete tasks alone. This is also the bottom line or limit thinking of theoretical struggle. If you always rely on others, you will gradually develop dependence and even a sense of personal attachment. What should you do if one day someone doesn't let you rely and depend, or if the cost of dependence and dependence is too high for you to bear? Over the past fifteen years, such dangers and threats have occurred constantly, and they still do today. With such ideological preparation and ability reserves, one can survive in any complex environment and unimaginable difficulties like a special forces soldier. Even if sacrificed, it will leave an indelible mark in history. The team assembled in this way is the best in its benchmark field. With the support of sister departments and platform resources, such a team can work together to achieve a synergistic effect of "1 1 › 2". Of course, in reality, no one, whether they are a researcher, PhD, dean, or clerk, can be comprehensive, let alone the best in every aspect. This requires leveraging the comparative advantages of the team and its members. The seven research institutes focus on policy research, some emphasize data production, some are good at macro analysis, and some are good at enterprise and local research. On the premise of forming their own characteristics and advantages, they should strengthen the capacity building for collaborative operations and cluster attacks.

Over the past fifteen years, we have devoted ourselves to the growth of everyone and provided targeted and systematic guidance to each research institute from the perspective of academic achievement construction, using forms such as office meetings, special research, and major project consultations. This Tianjin research project, for the first time, gathered the elite forces of seven research institutes and postdoctoral workstations, and with the support of the tourism market and destination marketing research base established by Nankai University, conducted a comprehensive investigation and strategic consultation on the current status of tourism development at the provincial and municipal levels. This is a large-scale research and training, as well as an original exploration of tourism research and the organization and team building of scientific research in the fields of philosophy and social sciences. From the perspective of effectiveness, the expected goals have been basically achieved, but many problems have also been exposed, such as varying degrees of fear of difficulties and the mindset of relying on others, insufficient ability to fight independently and overcome difficulties, and the need to improve the collaborative mechanism of mutual achievement and complementarity. Any organization is composed of people, and any mechanism is driven by people. To achieve synergy among the three teams, it is necessary to minimize the growth space of "sophisticated egoists". The institute will continue to introduce and improve management systems for scientific research, promotion, personnel, and finance, and strive to promote the construction of the three teams and their collaborative combat capabilities. However, proactive collaboration between institutes and individuals is even more important. I hope comrades will remember: only when it's raining to umbrella others, will there be people accompanying on sunny days.

Social services involve three aspects: continuous improvement of plans, monitoring, and evaluation. The achievements and development theories of think tanks come from practice. Whether serving local governments or market entities, they should adhere to the mentality of "always working together, frequently serving, and occasionally leading", propose solutions to problems based on investigation and research, and maintain continuous monitoring and regular evaluation. Before conducting on-site inspections, it is necessary to do high-quality desk work, including information on local geography, culture, economy, society, and politics, and form a relatively formed research report based on theoretical knowledge, so as to be confident. The purpose of going out to the scene is to have a comprehensive and in-depth discussion with local comrades, to systematically verify previous assumptions and research results, so that the submitted plan is empathetic, empathetic, and of high quality. Submitting a plan is like a doctor prescribing medication, it is only the first step in providing social services. The next step is continuous monitoring and regular evaluation, based on which further opinions and suggestions are proposed. The same should be true for services to market entities, namely the PDCA cycle. In short, the national team should have the appearance of a national team. This Tianjin research has made a good start, serving the local community, innovating models, training the team, and expanding influence. We need to continue to innovate based on the summary of experience.

Promote the position, focusing on three platforms: tourism reference (including special reports), Chinese culture and tourism big data, and Chinese tourism reviews. As a social science research institution guided by Marxism, we not only need to scientifically explain the world, but also transform the objective world of tourism practice and the subjective world of theoretical workers under the leadership of the Party. For a professional think tank, the most effective tool for transforming the world is to run newspapers, publications, and promotional platforms. I have always followed the example of 'New Youth' instead of academic journals when it comes to running a journal. In the Chinese literary world, there is no distinction between old and new. However, in the year of the May Fourth Movement, Chen Duxiu sounded his trumpet in "New Youth" and advocated for literary revolution. Hu Shizhi, Qian Xuantong, Liu Bannong, and others later waved their flags and shouted. I never want the publications and platforms of the research institute to become academic publishing platforms that support each other in small circles, nor can they be turned into literature databases that index each other. It's not that these studies cannot be done and literature cannot be cited. In fact, such academic journals have always existed, and they have done well using traditional evaluation criteria. We are also applying for publication numbers now. It needs to be emphasized that our platform, whether it is a periodical, a journal, or an internal journal, whether it is an official website, an official microblog, or a WeChat official account, or a video number, is all geared to the grassroots and front-line, and is open to tourism workers. They are the guarantors of national tourism rights, the creators of tourism welfare, and the colleagues of the tourism academic community.