Letters
"Publish and Prosper" Sir: I read with interest the Editorial in t h e April issue of A N A L Y T I C A L C H E M I S T R Y showing s o m e figures for t h e decline in c o n t r i b u t i o n s from ind u s t r y in t h e p a s t five y e a r s . You m a y be i n t e r e s t e d t o k n o w t h a t there has been an almost identical t r e n d w i t h The Analyst. A l t h o u g h I d o n o t h a v e exactly c o m p a r a b l e figu r e s , our s t a t i s t i c s show t h a t t h e p r o p o r t i o n of p a p e r s s u b m i t t e d t o The Analyst from U . K . i n d u s t r i a l e s t a b l i s h m e n t s d e c r e a s e d from 25.7% in 1977 t o 14.0% in 1981. However, t h e decline h a s n o t b e e n s m o o t h , t h e i n d i v i d u a l figures being: 1977, 25.7%; 1978, 21.0%; 1979, 21.9%; 1980,12.6%; 1981,14.0%. P e r h a p s t h e large d r o p in 1980 w a s d u e t o t h e gene r a l worldwide ( a n d especially U.K.) p r o b l e m s in i n d u s t r y a r o u n d t h a t t i m e , w i t h t h e figure for 1981 reflecting a slight u p t u r n in i n d u s t r i a l fort u n e s , a l t h o u g h obviously t h i s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n is o p e n t o q u e s t i o n . I d o feel t h o u g h t h a t t h e major r e a s o n for t h e difficulty in a t t r a c t i n g m o r e p a p e r s from i n d u s t r y lies n o t so m u c h in t h e q u e s t i o n of p r o p r i e t a r y i n f o r m a t i o n — as I t h i n k t h i s is r a t h e r p e r i p h e r a l in a n a l y t i c a l w o r k — b u t in t h e r e l u c t a n c e of m a n a g e m e n t t o allow a u t h o r s t h e time to put together comprehensive manuscripts. F r o m comments I have h e a r d , it would s e e m t h a t m a n y a n a lytical c h e m i s t s a r e t o o b u s y doing t h e i r j o b s in t h e face of staff c u t s a n d o t h e r e c o n o m i e s t o b e able t o afford t h e l u x u r y of writing p a p e r s , however valuable their results m a y be to other workers. I also t h i n k y o u r c o m m e n t on a t t e n d a n c e a t conferences reflects t h e b e n e fits t h a t m a n a g e m e n t can envisage in personal contact with other workers, i.e., t h e c o m p a n y m a y get s o m e t h i n g t a n g i b l e o u t of it, w h e r e a s p u b l i c a t i o n in j o u r n a l s b r i n g s little t o t h e c o m p a n y except, as you say, e n h a n c e m e n t of its image. P. C. W e s t o n Editor The Analyst R o y a l Society of C h e m i s t r y Burlington House London WIV OBN U.K.
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Nicolet XRD Corporation 255 Fourier Avenue Fremont, CA 94539 (415) 490-8300 CIRCLE 153 ON READER SERVICE CARD ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 54, NO. 9, AUGUST 1982 · 1001 A
