The distinctive research of the individual inventor

Abstract

While there is much opinion about the work of individual inventors — most of it either highly dismissive or hopelessly romantic — very little is actually known about their work or about what sort of individuals invent. This paper is based on the second of two research studies carried out in Australia. The first sought, by means of an extensive survey, to discover something about the characteristics and motivation of individuals who invent, or, more accurately, who apply for patents. The second built upon this work in an effort to determine whether the work of individuals was especially different from that of formal research units. Individual inventors do generally work in different areas from research units, but their work seems to be valued most by those units when it is most similar to the units' own research. However, when comparison can be made, the individual's work is regarded as less professional than formal research. Although research units seem to have little contact with individual inventors, do not usually hold their work in high esteem, and would normally be quite capable of devising their inventions within the unit, they do show an interest in the patents of individuals and sometimes license from them. Individual inventors are remote from the innovative process in which the research unit is expected to play a part. It remains uncertain whether the distinctive nature of their work makes it worthwhile drawing individual inventors closer to that innovative process.