本文藉由一系列預設、推論、模擬、與經驗參照等，來推論學術規模偏小對臺灣此等學術小國社會科學發展的影響。 與政治、社會、經濟、學術歷史等條件相近的大國相比，小國社會科學規模偏小，不僅限制學術生產的總量，而且降低本土研究與教學的平均品質，乃至於降低學術評量、學術領導階層與學術政策的素質。這是規模此一物質條件所致，不是制度更張或學者個人修為所能克服。甚至不是多撥研究經費所能改善。 本文也推論，改善小國社會科學發展的關鍵，一是擴大學界規模，藉以增加集體研究累積。二是擴大校系規模，提高資源使用效率。三是每學門成立幾個較大的特優系所，藉由聚集幾位原創學者而達到推動學術良性發展的臨界值，帶動系所與學界的研究與教學發展。四是鼓勵不擅研究的學者從事學術翻譯來代替低品質的研究，以增加教材。

This paper employs a series of assumptions, deductions, simulations, and empirical references to infer the impact of small scale on the development of social sciences in small nations like Taiwan. It is found that the small scale of social sciences community in small nations would reduce not only the overall quantity of academic production, but also the average quality of research, teaching, evaluation, academic leadership, and academic policy. These shortages are caused by the material condition of scale, therefore could not easily be corrected by institutional design or individual endeavor, or even larger research budget. It is inferred that the most essential steps to alleviate these predicaments of small nations would be, firstly, to significantly expand the scale of social sciences community; secondly, to enlarge the size of universities and departments; thirdly, to establish in each discipline several leading departments sizable enough to be endowed with several distinguished scholars as a core to lead the research and teaching in these departments and their discipline in large; and, finally, to encourage translation of foreign works in order to increase the reading material available to students.