THE RESEARCH EFFORT SURVEYED: A Series of Articles on British and Continental Centres of Lubrication Research

FOREWORD COMMUNICATION OF IDEAS and data leads to dross‐pollination in research, which can be as important as the bench work itself. Channels of communication are now highly developed and the growth of specialized symposia and conferences points to the continuing development of this important aspect of research. Those who move about meetings regularly can acquire a balanced understanding of what is going on in the many corners where research is being prosecuted. Those who make a habit of combing, methodically, the technical press can also arrive at some idea of the direction and speed of the currents flowing through a particular subject. There are, however, many technical men who find themselves too busy in their management sphere to keep abreast with either meetings or the scientific journals.