EDI T 0 RIA 1 December 1961, Vol. 33, No. 13 APPLIED JOURNALS, ACS Director of Publications, C. B. Larrabee Editorial Director, Richard L. Kenyan Assistant to the Director of Publications, Joseph H. Kuney Assistant to the Editorial Director, Rodney N . Hader Director of Editorial Research, Robert F . Gould
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY Editor, LA'IVREKCE T. HALLETT Managing Editor, ROBERTG. GIBBS
EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON 6, D. C. 1165 Sixteenth St., N.W. Phone REpublic 7.3357
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Robert J. Kelley
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Changing Trends in F Research UNDAMENTAL OR BASIC RESEARCH has long been considered the domain Fof academic and government scientists. I n recent years, however, this picture has been changing. Today the Federal Government is supporting a tremendous amount of research in industry, academic institutions, and nonprofit research groups, as well as in government laboratories. Without getting into a long discussion as to what constitutes fundamental and applications research, we believe it is fair to state t h a t large amounts of government funds are being spent on both types of research. M a n y government research contracts going to academic institutions for applied research require much time of academic research personnel. Industrial research, on the other hand, has traditionally been in the applied field, Today, however, industry is not only doing a lot of fundaiiiental research in its own laboratories, but is also "farming out" or supporting much basic research in academic and nonprofit research groups. I n our November issue, for example, i t is noted (Laboratory of the Month, page 97 A ) that the Ford Motor Co. is so convinced of the value of basic research t h a t it has a group of 300 scientists in their own laboratory building xi-hose efforts are devoted solely i o exploring fundamental problems without regard to any direct use in the automobile industry. To assure a continuity of p r o g r a m , this laboratory operates on a &year budget which is not related to any cyclical upturns or downturns in the automobile industry. Ford Motor Co. is cited merely as a n example. M a n y other companies are also pursuing a n active, basic research program of considerable magnitude based on the concept t h a t industry, like academic groups, must do fundamental research. To get some illustrative figures to support our point, the editors made a n analysis of all scientific papers which appeared in ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY over a period of three years. Results showed t h a t approximately 50% of all the papers published could be classified as fundamental. Of this total, 60% originated in academic and government laboratories and 40% in industrial and other laboratories. A further breakdown shows that approximately 78 70 of the fundamental papers came from government and academic groups and 22% from industrial laboratories. Considering t h e large number of papers published each year in AXALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, this 22 % represents a substantial contribution on the p a r t of industry to developing fundamental knowledge. Where this trend will lead is difficult to say. It does seem likely, however, t h a t the rapid rate a t which fundamental data are being used up to maintain rapid technological advances, a still greater emphasis will be placed on fundamental research. Both Government and indust r y will have to share in this effort.
Advertising Management REINHOLD PUBLISHING CORP. (For Branch Offlces we page 159 AI VOL. 33, NO. 13, DECEMBER 1961
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