National organization for interinstitutional cooperative studies in otolaryngology

Cooperative clinical investigation, the sharing of ideas and the pooling of resources among several institutions, is a valid, useful, and powerful research mechanism for almost any type of prospective clinical study. The strengths, weakness, and principles of cooperative studies are reviewed in detail. I propose that a national office for research activities in otolaryngology be established in the headquarters of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Inc., in Washington, DC, at the earliest possible date.