Motive, Motivate, Motivation [Editor's Column]

The Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of this piublications notes that throughout the year, there are times when hisstudents and he are extremely productive and write a lot of papers and grant proposals, and then there seem to be times when they do not write nearly as much. He says 'I usually chalk it up to other responsibilities, such as teaching, traveling, or family obligations. On the other hand, perhaps the reason lies in not being as motivated. I feel that after attending a great conference, I am always so much more motivated to get back and jump back into research. The first few weeks after a conference always tend to be very productive, even though I am usually catching up on other tasks that were pushed on the back burners while traveling and attending the conference. The discussions I have with other researchers at conferences provide me with new ideas and different perspectives on issues in our field.'