THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL 431 



increasing recognition of the extent to which scientific 

 men can be of assistance to one another by frank and 

 full interchange of knowledge regarding current work. 

 At present, there is no central agency which can serve 

 as an exchange for such information. The saving of 

 time and expense represented by the ability to draw upon 

 such a source of knowledge can hardly be overestimated. 

 It pre-supposes on the part of the individual investigator 

 not only the willingness to make periodic communication 

 regarding his own work, but also the willingness to take 

 the small amount of time necessary to fill out the enquiry 

 cards which must inevitably be used if the information 

 supplied is to be rendered promptly and easily available 

 to others. 



Naturally the industrial laboratories working on prob- 

 lems which directly affect their competitive relationships 

 will not find it possible to participate very fully in this 

 type of interchange of information. In so far, however, 

 as work which they carry on has significant relations to 

 the issues of fundamental science, there is reason to be- 

 lieve that they too will be willing to cooperate in this 

 program. 



(c) There is in preparation a catalogue of research personnel 

 which when complete will supply full and accurate infor- 

 mation regarding the professional equipment and accom- 

 plishments of all scientific research men, with their 

 addresses. The Research Information Service has 

 already received so many important enquiries covering 

 this field as to make it clear that there is a very genuine 

 need for information of this character. If a university 

 or industrial concern desires a competent research man 

 in a special field, there is at present no means of getting 

 the necessary information save by slow correspondence 

 with a considerable group of individuals or agencies, 

 where the information may or may not be actually avail- 

 able. It is hardly necessary to argue the utility of a 



