Scientific attributes of a researcher and member of the triological society

Abstract

This presidential address discusses the comments from the first Mayo Clinic's Chair, Harold Lille, MD, regarding different contributions by members of The Triological Society in his 1939 presidential address. It then goes on to discuss scientific research attributes expected of members of the Society that were gleaned from a fusion of Dr. Berke's notions with what other famous researchers, inventors, and philosophers have said about aspects of research. The areas covered include research motivation, the process of research, the scientific method, imagination, intuition and luck, questioning in science, tenacity, ideas, and knowledge. In summary, the following are the expected attributes of a researcher and member of the Society. The individual should enjoy the creation of new knowledge and appreciate the mysteries of life and the joy of discoveries. He or she should be a staunch supporter of the scientific method, but should also understand that every researcher is a professional amateur, and that the process of research is often fraught with blind alleys and incorrect ideas and assumptions, and that ultimately hypotheses must be substantiated by experiments. A researcher must exhibit imagination and intuition augmented by tenacity and scientific questioning. Finally, he or she should recognize that chance favors the prepared mind, and always be on the lookout for novel ideas framed by a comprehension of existing knowledge, not just in one domain but across a broad horizon of disciplines. Copyright © 2012 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.