In the analogy of research as a brick wall, proprietary research introduces a unique challenge. Unlike publicly shared research that adds bricks to the communal wall of knowledge, proprietary research often builds separate walls, hidden from view, behind corporate gates. These walls may be high and well-constructed, but their isolation affects the collective progress of science and innovation in significant ways.
The Impact on the Wall's Height
When research results are kept proprietary, the bricks representing those findings are not added to the communal wall. Instead, they exist in silos, inaccessible to other researchers. This lack of shared knowledge means that the communal wall may grow more slowly or risk stagnation, as researchers unknowingly repeat experiments or miss out on valuable insights that could guide their work.
Proprietary research can lead to redundancy. Multiple groups might independently work on the same problem, each building their own isolated wall. While this competition might foster innovation in some cases, it often leads to wasted resources and effort that could otherwise be directed toward pushing the communal wall higher.
Missed Opportunities for the Capstone
The lack of transparency in proprietary research also delays the placement of capstones - those transformative breakthroughs that elevate the entire field. Many breakthroughs result from collaboration, cross-pollination of ideas, and building on the foundational work of others. When proprietary research walls are hidden, the chances for such serendipitous connections diminish, slowing progress toward revolutionary discoveries.
For instance, consider the field of nutrition in veterinary medicine, where shared data might accelerate solutions to global challenges. Proprietary walls in these areas might contain bricks with the potential to improve animal health or save animal lives, yet their inaccessibility limits the broader impact they could have.
Reinforcing Foundations for Corporate Gain
On the flip side, proprietary research does contribute to its own foundations, benefiting the corporations funding it. These walls may focus on targeted goals, such as developing new products or improving processes. While this contributes to economic growth and innovation within a specific domain, the broader scientific community often cannot benefit from these advancements unless the results are eventually shared or licensed.
A Balance Between Secrecy and Sharing
While some level of proprietary research is necessary to protect intellectual property and incentivize investment, striking a balance is crucial. Governments, academic institutions, and corporations can collaborate to establish frameworks that encourage sharing foundational discoveries while allowing companies to maintain competitive advantages in applied research.
Initiatives like open data platforms, public-private partnerships, and pre-competitive collaborations (where researchers share data before the commercialization phase) can help bridge the gap. These approaches ensure that essential bricks are added to the communal wall, even if some aspects of the work remain proprietary.
Moving Forward: Building Together
The collective height of the wall of knowledge depends on our willingness to share and collaborate. Proprietary research, when isolated, may build impressive walls for individual corporations, but it limits the potential of humanity's collective achievements. By creating pathways for shared discoveries, we can ensure that every brick contributes to a higher, stronger wall - one that benefits all.
In the end, science is most powerful when it builds not just for individuals or corporations but for the collective good of society.
By finding ways to integrate proprietary research into the communal structure, we can ensure that the wall of knowledge reaches heights previously unimaginable.
Building a metaphor: Another brick in the wall? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3524311/
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