TY - JOUR AB - Communication is the basis of the development of civilization, and advances in communication techniques are both a cause and an effect of developments in science and technology. Probably something similar also applies in the humanities, whereas the arts in themselves represent significant forms of communication. The Industrial Revolution was itself certainly expedited by developments in communication technology, and progress since has been similarly conditioned. The rate at which communications technology can be advanced both from the point of view of techniques and of related hardware will certainly constitute a major factor in the continuing progress of the so‐called developed countries and of the rate at which the developing countries progress. Such advances also impact directly on the standards of living of the communities concerned, but at the same time introduce increasing complexities into the everyday lives of the communities, their social structure and everyday work, and many, if not most, of the problems that arise in this complex social structure stem from failures of communication. An industrial dispute is certainly nothing more than a failure of communication between the parties concerned, and the speed with which differences can be settled is dependent, materially, on the speed and level at which communication can be re‐established. Of course the technology of communication is an important factor—such as the radio, telephone and written communication but these are only a concomitant to the realization that good communication means good human relations. VL - 30 IS - 2 SN - 0001-253X DO - 10.1108/eb050615 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/eb050615 AU - Millson R.J. PY - 1978 Y1 - 1978/01/01 TI - Institutions and Learned Societies as information sources T2 - Aslib Proceedings PB - MCB UP Ltd SP - 48 EP - 54 Y2 - 2024/03/29 ER -