ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Resoluteness is an essential moral virtue for researchers in all fields of enquiry. Those who do not possess it will rarely achieve much of lasting worth. The research process can be demanding and arduous, lasting several years and, in some respects, the length of an academic career. Significant scientific and academic figures from the past are often associated with career-long struggles to make “breakthroughs” or gain wider recognition for the nature of their research. For example, it is estimated that between 1856 and 1863 Gregor Mendel, an Augustinian monk, tested 28,000 pea plants in experiments that led to his discovery of the basic laws of inheritance. His painstaking cross-breeding program resulted in the law of segregation and discovered how genes are passed on through the generations. While Mendel’s work was largely unrecognized in his lifetime he is now often cited as the father of modern genetics. In many respects, Thomas Edison, the American inventor, lies at the opposite end of the spectrum to Mendel. Edison was famous in his lifetime with a string of inventions and innovations to his name including the electric light bulb and the phonograph. He was also commercially astute, taking out over a thousand patents. However, in common with Mendel, Edison was a workaholic who reportedly tested over a thousand materials before discovering one suitable for a light bulb. Fittingly, Edison was attributed with the
oft-quoted remark that genius is one percent inspiration and 99% perspiration.
