Two factors weigh heavily against the effecctiveness of scientific research in industry.One is
the general atmosphere of secrecy in which it is carried out,the other the lack of freedom of
the individual research worker.In so far as any inquiry is a secret one,it naturally limits all
those engaged in carrying it out from effecctive contact with their fellow scientists either in
other countries or in universities,or even,often enough,in other departments of the same firm.The
degree of secret naturally varies considerably.Some of the bigger firms are engaged in researches
which are of such general and gundamental nature that it is a positive advantage to them not to
keep them secret.Yet a great many processes depending on such research are sought for with complete
secrecy until the stage at which patents can be taken out.Even more processes are never patented at
all but kept as secret processes.This applies particularly to chemical industries,where chance
discoveries play a much larger part than they do in physical and mechanical industries.Sometimes
the secrecy goes to such an extent that the whole nature of the research cannot be mentioned.
Many firms,for instance, have great difficulty in obtaining technical or scientific books from
libraries because they are unwilling to have their names entered as having taken out such and such
a book for fear the agents of other firms should be able to trace the kind of research they are
likely to be undertaking.