Research in psychiatry is in decline. Fifteen years ago it was the ambition of many registrars in training to do some investigation and publish a paper, and the favoured few at the Maudsley even got an extra degree (the M. Phil.) out of it. People thought it would help them to a consultant post. Now they know it is not necessary. Training has become more formalized, with day-release courses and rotation schemes; and research seems more difficult, often needing specialized service or complex instruments and thousands of pounds.