REPORT OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCH - ENGINEERING INTERACTION

THE EVOLUTION OF TEN SEPARATE MATERIAL DEVELOPMENTS WERE INVESTIGATED AND CASE HISTORIES ARE PRESENTED. A TECHNIQUE OF ANALYSIS WAS DEVELOPED AND APPLIED TO THE CASE HISTORIES TO IDENTIFY COMMON ELEMENTS AND PATTERNS WHICH MIGHT BE USED AS GUIDES BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO STIMULATE RESEARCH-ENGINEERING INTERACTIONS IN THE SOLUTION OF MATERIALS PROBLEMS. THE ANALYSIS IDENTIFIED SEVERAL ELEMENTS WHICH WERE PROMINENT IN MANY OF THE CASES. AMONG THESE ARE: (1) FLEXIBILITY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATORS TO MAKE MAJOR CHANGES IN DIRECTION AND GOALS WAS FREQUENTLY REQUIRED, (2) CLOSE AND FREQUENT COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONALLY INDEPENDENT GROUPS WERE OFTEN ESSENTIAL, (3) KEY INDIVIDUALS PLAYED ESSENTIAL ROLES IN BRIDGING THE GEOGRAPHICAL, ORGANIZATIONAL, AND FUNCTIONAL BARRIERS BETWEEN GROUPS, (4) THE RECOGNITION OF AN IMPORTANT NEED WAS MOST FREQUENTLY THE PRINCIPAL FACTOR IN STIMULATING RESEARCH-ENGINEERING INTERACTIONS, AND (5) OFTEN TECHNICAL APPROACHES WERE AVAILABLE AND LAY DORMANT FOR SOME TIME BEFORE THEIR PERTINENCE TO A SPECIFIC NEED WAS RECOGNIZED. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THESE FINDINGS BE CONSIDERED IN FUTURE MATERIALS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING EFFORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. IN ADDITION, THE VALUE OF THE CASE HISTORY APPROACH AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL IS EMPHASIZED AND SUGGESTED FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION. A SERIES OF QUESTIONS IS DEVELOPED TO AID FURTHER SELF STUDY BY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS. FINALLY, THE NEED FOR MORE EFFECTIVE TOOLS OF CASE HISTORY ANALYSIS IS IDENTIFIED. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Mab-222-m, 356 PP, FIGS, TABS, 2 APP
• Corporate Authors:

  National Academy of Sciences

  2101 Constitution Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20418
• Publication Date: 1966-7

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Development; Engineering; Materials; Materials tests; Research
• Uncontrolled Terms: Research and development
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00216928
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 24 1970 12:00AM