16: Summary

In this last chapter, we will summarise all the aspects of good chemistry that we have come across throughout the book. This is a challenge because, as we have seen, the professions that chemists can occupy, the realms in which they work, and the contexts in which their chemical expertise is applied, can vary quite significantly. There is no standard way of doing good chemistry. The purpose of facing that challenge is to realise that none of the topics in this book are optional, luxury, or unimportant. In one way or the other, they all touch the daily activity of a chemical practitioner from time to time. This chapter is intended to illustrate the firm connections between methodology, professional integrity and social responsibility one more time. The examples – schedules of a busy day of selected chemical professions – may appear unrealistic owing to the density of special scenarios accumulated in one day. Yet, all the chosen events pose challenges to the chemist's decision-making and judgment ability. Some are issues that critically reflect methodological questions, others require a research or profession ethics approach, some are located at the intersection between chemical expertise (science, research, public service), society and environment, some touch all three categories at the same time. The reader is asked to transfer the quintessential conclusions from these cases to his or her real-life cases as a chemistry student, academic scientist, researcher in private sector industry, or as a chemist in public service.