In order to maintain my original rate of Technology Research, do I adjust Research/Science % or do I use more (Normal)Merchant Specialists under the Caste Civic?

This is entirely dependent on the state of your cities. If they have abundant food and can afford to run multiple specialists then merchants may be the best way to go. This is especially true if your playing a philosophical civ, running the representation civic, or anything else that gives other benefits from specialists.

If you can't run many specialists without your cities stagnating or production slowing then I'd stick to the research slider.

I haven't tried using merchants to keep my Research high. But now that I think of it, it might make me much more likely to try to build wallstsreet (normally my research is near 100% so the Banks don't seem worth it).

Have people found Merchants a useful way to keep up the research slider?

-- The Hypnotoad

Why would you? I really fail to see the point, unless you prefer Great Merchants over Great Scientists (which I really don't).

Have a specialized gold generating city, with your banks and other gold multipling buildings, put merchants in there and they will easily overcome a 100% science deficit. Additionally, if its a holy city, get the shrine built and spread religion and you can gets a healthy positive gpt even at 100% science.

Have a specialized gold generating city, with your banks and other gold multipling buildings, put merchants in there and they will easily overcome a 100% science deficit. Additionally, if its a holy city, get the shrine built and spread religion and you can gets a healthy positive gpt even at 100% science.

That does seem to be the best idea, that way banks are unneeded in any other city (except maybe a few high production cities to allow Wall street in the Gold city)

As for why to do it:

I generally have libraries, universities, etc. in every city, but not banks, groceries, etc. So when I set 10% of my commerce towards gold, I am actually not making as much use of that commerce as when it is dedicated to science. However, I could easily build all the financial buildings in a single city (as people have mentioned, the city with the most lucrative shrine(s)) and then use merchants to get my gold up, thus letting me keep my research slider at the top, which is the most effective use of commerce.

I'm not a big fan of great merchants (the +1 food can be quite nice), but nonetheless this could be a very effective strategy.

-- The Hypnotoad

I usually use merchants to gain a quick boost in cash, and then spend 100% or 90% on science for 100 turns or so, by which time I probably have another merchant.

But the merchant as a specialist might be a good idea with Wall Street. I just build it too late in the game I think.

I wonder whether the specialist can ever catch up to the initial merchant gold boost, especially considering the time value of money.