Hossein Jorjani
First publication: 2026 – 07 – 20
Every scientific inquiry begins with selection. No researcher can investigate every problem, read every publication, examine every hypothesis, or pursue every promising idea. Scientific work is therefore conducted under conditions of scarcity: time, attention, funding, personnel, and institutional resources are all limited.
Selection should not be confused with the determination of truth, whatever that may be. A neglected hypothesis may later prove correct, while a widely accepted one may eventually be rejected. “Truth” depends upon evidence, critical examination, and reproducibility rather than upon the amount of attention an idea receives. Nevertheless, because intellectual resources are finite, neither individual scholars nor scientific institutions can devote equal effort to every possible line of inquiry.
The need for selection appears at many levels. Individual researchers decide which publications deserve careful reading. Research groups determine which hypotheses merit experimental investigation. Universities allocate teaching, laboratory space, personnel, and financial resources. Funding agencies choose among competing proposals. In every case, the question is not simply what is true, but what justifies further investment of limited intellectual resources.
The criteria for such selection may vary. Some emphasize originality, others empirical promise, theoretical significance, practical relevance, or the judgment of the scientific community. None of these criteria guarantees “truth”. Rather, they serve as heuristics for directing scarce resources toward questions that appear most worthy of continued investigation.
Recognizing the necessity of selection also clarifies the nature of academic freedom. Freedom to develop and discuss new ideas does not by itself entail an unlimited claim upon institutional resources. Universities exist to support inquiry, but they must also determine how finite resources can best advance knowledge. The challenge is therefore not to eliminate selection, but to make its principles as rational, transparent, and intellectually responsible as possible.
Hossein Jorjani 