Who Are We? What Are We?

Even to those involved it’s not clear whether this identity crisis started as a joke or a real concern. Mostly it remained a joke in that in the discussions leading up to this article there was a lot of laughing. But there was a little edge of seriousness in a few people that we really did need to address the situation. It even became the top article in our recent monthly Newsletter. (You can sign up for our free monthly Newsletters.) Our website continuously gets comments. We pay attention to what our readers have to say, and we’ve gotten several comments about this specific question. Getting these comments seemed to show us that we’re not doing very well at communicating our role, that is, what we see as our job description.

Welcome to the Neuroscience Research and Development Consultancy website. Have a question or a comment? Send it to us at: Comment@NeuroSciRandD.com

First, A Few Humble Words

We at the Neuroscience Research and Development Consultancy, LLC, actually do have a job description. It defines our role to play in the larger scheme of things, that is, it’s the job function that’s been assigned to us. It’s what we do. And, we hope this doesn’t sound boastful, but we do consider ourselves at least capable and competent to do the job. However, we try not to take ourselves too seriously in the process. As we humorously point out on our Home Page, many people call our company and us “nerdsy” from the acronym for the company, NRDC, or NRD-C. What we offer below in addressing the readers’ concerns is not meant to sound grandiose, rather, just factual. We just feel that we have a job to do and it’s important to us that we try to do it well.

On the One Hand, There Are Reporters and Commentators

When you read a blog, a newspaper, or a magazine, or watch TV news or listen to radio news, it’s a reporter that’s informing you. A news reporter gathers information, hopefully interesting stuff, has an editor put it into a reasonable form, and then the reporter gets it out to all of us, the public. Reporters don’t add in their own opinions in their stories because it’s not ethical to do so. One of the duties of a reporter is to keep their own personal opinions out of the public news. It’s an obligation for professional reporters who are committed to keeping news coverage unbiased and impartial. There are other people whose job it is to add their own opinions to the public news: the news commentator. Commentators give their opinions on news stories and current events. They are specifically sought out for their opinions.

On the Other Hand, There Are Consultants

Consultants are professionals with rich experience and an in-depth understanding in their area of expertise. Because of this store of knowledge and their history of skill and good judgment they are paid by the clients who hire them to give opinions, do analyses, and make recommendations on what to do next and how best to do it. Businesses hire consultants because the business wants to succeed in reaching a goal, and the consultants expert advice can help them reach that goal. We at the NeuroSci R&D Consultancy are consultants. That’s how we make our living, that is, it’s our job.

So, What Were the Comments And What Is The Area?

Readers have pointed out that when we report on a research paper, discuss a medication, or critique a clinical procedure, we don’t stick to reporting the facts. We add, we push out, our own opinions. These readers feel that we’re overstepping our role. But we not only offer our opinion, we often push in a specific direction, because we’re not reporters. Our job is not just to relay facts as we find them. Our job, in a sense, forbids us to keep our opinions to ourselves. And, we’re not just commentators, tossing out our opinions and hoping someone is interested. We make our living as consultants, tearing into research papers, researching medication effects and side effects, and dissecting medical and scientific procedures. We do so explain the relative quality of the information and we push the best way for the reader to go or not to go forward.

One of our Swansea, Wales, UK Readers Wrote to Us to Ask:

How can you be my consultant when I haven’t signed anything or paid anything?

Our Swansea reader asks an interesting question and it was part of the humor and laughter as we discussed the various comments. We address this question more below, but in truth, we are only paid consultants for those who are (or were) paid subscribers to our website. If you, as a reader, are not paying us then we can’t be your consultant. Then there’s the contrary question: If you’re not paying us and don’t want us as a consultant why are you reading our website material? It does become circular. As we say in the meta-description for this page, “A sense of humor is good to bring to the party.”

We at NRDC Are Working for You

We are your paid consultants if you are or were one of our paying subscribers. We’re working to help these readers succeed in reaching a goal of better use of medical information toward better health and a longer life. You are paying us for our judgment calls, our analyses, and our recommendations, that is, you are paying us as consultants. We let you know whether a medication or medical procedure is good or is junk. We find research reports of quality and put the information in your hands with an explanation that will help you make your own judgment calls and use it to your benefit.

We Think You Enjoy Having Us As Your Consultant

As with job hunting, with dating, love, and marriage, and with shopping, eventually everyone finds their match and, over time, it all sorts itself out. If you don’t want us as your consultant we have to assume that you’ll stop reading our website and our newsletters. If you enjoy our added expertise you’ll probably stay with us. Of course, as our reader from Swansea said above, you can choose not to pay us! But if you’re not paying us and you’re still reading, hey, such a deal. You’re getting a consultation for free for which others are paying. You’re getting something for nothing in this transaction. So either way, welcome to nerdsy.