Communicated research is more valuable research.
It is more valuable because it is widened and informed by the views of others and also because there is more chance of it having a wider impact. What we research may be driven by our own concerns about our work. How we do it and what we do with it can usefully be influenced by contact with others. Since contact can be by phone or letter, as well as in person, networks open up support possibilities for those living and working at a distance from others. Networks are one way of tapping into existing expertise and experience.