Fesruary 8, 1917] 
in efficient expenditure of executive energy, more 
effective plans, and general stabilisation. This can 
come about if there is a pervading organisation type 
of mind, which “‘ is common to those drilled in system- 
atic thinking and long immersed in the materials of 
their particular vocation. Such a mind sees details, 
but only as parts of a whole; reaches generalisations, 
but by the inductive route.” 
With regard to the investigatory staff, while the 
individual can exert only a very small influence except 
as a member of an organisation or institution, yet a 
research institution neyer gains note or influence 
except through the attainments and achievements of 
its individual members. The research department of 
a large industrial concern will be great because it has 
investigators on its staff who possess great originality 
and ability and because its director is wise and far- 
sighted. It is generally conceded that the. personal 
factor is always paramount in industrial research, and 
that, as in every other organisation, the control of 
men is the real problem in laboratory administration. 
A brief consideration of the conditions favourable 
to both pure and industrial research is pertinent in 
connection with any discussion of the personal 
organisation. 
It is particularly adverse to progress to regard 
able investigators as abnormal men; for successful 
research demands neither any peculiar conformity 
nor any peculiar deformity of mind, but it requires, 
rather, peculiar normality and unusual industry and 
patience. It is little less inimical to expect productive 
work from those who are absorbingly preoccupied 
with other affairs than research; for fruitful scientific 
inquiry entails, in general, prolonged and arduous, 
if not exhausting, labour, for which all the re- 
searcher’s time is none too much. This is the ex- 
perience of the Carnegie Institution and all. other 
research organisations. It is only to be expected, 
therefore, that those most likely to produce important 
results in research are those who have qualified for 
the responsibilities thereof by the completion and 
publication of several worthy investigations, and who 
are at the same time able to devote the bulk of their 
energies thereto. The productive researchers in our 
universities are those who are devoting their whole 
time, or practically their whole time, to investigatory 
work.’ 
-Research should never be allowed to fall into the 
rut of prosaic routine. The personnel of the investi- 
gatory staff should be maintained at the very highest 
standard, and all administrative plans should be 
carried out with enthusiasm and earnestness. 
In the research laboratories of manufacturing 
plants the personal co-operation of the research staff 
with the members of other branches of the organisa- 
tion always proves an important aid in maintaining 
interest in the work and is, in addition, mutually 
educating.* In particular, the research department 
should have an esprit de corps that keeps things 
moving and should lead the way so strikingly as to 
be apparent to all other departments of the corpora- 
tion. In consequence, mediocrity should never be 
tolerated. It should be borne in mind, however, that 
the research man can only accomplish efficient work 
when he is free from restraint and petty annoyances. 
® As arule, the head professors of chemistry in the larger universities are 
not giving more than three to five hours of lectures during the week, the rest 
of their time being devoted to research, while a number of them have one or 
more private research assistants, besides the candidates for advanced degrees, 
doing research work. 
3 In several of our largest corporations the plant superintendents make 
monthly reports to the research departments, including all ideas of their own 
or of their assistants which may in any way warrant investigation. Then, 
too, the salesmen report regularly to the research department regarding the 
various ways in which the company’s products are used and what substitutes 
are employed for the company’s products. Such plans stimulate closer 
thought and observation, 
NO. 2467, VOL. 98] 
NATURE 
459 
Co-operation is always contributory to success im 
a research laboratory, and, other conditions being 
equal, the valuable men are the ones who can and 
will co-operate with one another. As in business,. 
men succeed only as they utilise the ideas and services. 
of other men. It follows, therefore, that the strength: 
of an investigatory staff, properly operated, should 
increase more rapidly than the increase of its numbers, 
and that a fraternal spirit will play an important 
réle in the productiveness of any rescarch department. 
The experience in several of our most successful 
industrial research laboratories has clearly shown that 
co-operation between the different departments thereof 
can be adequately and completely obtained by well- 
planned weekly conferences on the subjects under 
study. While some directors of industrial research: 
hesitate to spend the time which these conferences. 
entail, it is the opinion of the sub-committee that con- 
ferences of this nature are worth far more than the 
time they take. 
The Selection and Training of Students for 
Industrial Research, 
Research leading to the discovery of new ideas. 
requires not only intellect and training, but also 
initiative or genius; it can come only from an in- 
dividual who possesses unusual intuition and insight. 
It follows, therefore, that there is a scarcity of men 
gifted with the genius for industrial research, and 
that it requires much experience in selecting suitable 
men and in training them to the desirable degree of 
efficiency, after having determined the particular 
qualities required. 
The important requisites for industrial research: 
are often unconsidered by manufacturers, who, in 
endeavouring to select a research chemist, are likely 
to regard every chemist as a qualified scientific scout. 
The supply of men capable of working at high effi- 
ciency as investigators is well below the demand; 
and chemists having the requisites and spirit of the 
researcher are indeed difficult to find even by those 
experienced in the direction of research. All research 
professors know that the location of a skilled private 
assistant—one who possesses not only originality, but 
also sound judgment and intellectual honesty—is not 
easy, because*it frequently involves the gift of pro- 
phecy on the part of the searcher.‘ It has been truly 
said that the ‘‘seeds of great discoveries are constantly 
floating around us, but they only take root in minds 
well prepared to receive them.” 
On account of the extraordinary importance of new 
ideas, particular emphasis should always be laid upon 
finding and supporting brilliant researchers. Such 
individuals can best be found in the universities. The- 
function of the university is to work with the bene- 
ficent idea of increasing the sum of human know- 
ledge, and among its most valuable products are: 
those who will worl for the exercise of the investi- 
gative instinct and the pleasure of overcoming diffi- 
culties. 
The examination of the training necessary for those- 
proposing to take up industrial research which is. 
common with all scientifically trained men, is too 
extensive a subject to be discussed by the sub-com- 
mittee at this time. It is, however, appropriate to con- 
sider those subjects in which it seems desirable for 
the prospective researcher to specialise: reference is, 
of course, made to subjects other than those required” 
by the average student of the sciences as distinguished 
from their industrial application, but the assumption 
is not made that what is desirable for research work 
should not also be available for all. 
Research men frequently possess adequate training 
4 See discussion in Scéence, N.S., 41 (1915), P. 319. 
