About this issue

THE LAST ARTICLE in the last issue (Gerald Gordon, “The Problem of Assessing Scientific Accomplishment: A Potential Solution,” December, 1963 TRANSACTIONS) dealt with a critical aspect of the over-all problem of assessing the role of Research and Development in the firm. The argument goes something like this: if one believes that “good” R & D can contribute to the “success” of a company, then, in order to take advantage of this relationship, one must be able to recognize both good R & D and successful company performance. As indicated in the editorial of the last issue, the measurement of R & D accomplishment is still an elusive goal.