Is it still possible, necessary and beneficial to perform research in ICP-atomic emission spectrometry?

It is often said that there is no more need for research in atomic emission spectrometry (AES), and that it is a dead-end street. Therefore, a question could be raised: Is it still possible, necessary and beneficial to perform research in atomic emission spectrometry? Actually this question contains some keywords. ‘‘Possible’’ implies that financial support may be obtained to conduct research regardless of the origin of the support, i.e., national or international agencies, instrument companies, or industry. ‘‘Necessary’’ means that strong needs can be defined by users or instrument companies, or are required because of new regulations. ‘‘Beneficial’’ means that this type of research is recognized through conferences, scientific journals and awards, and that students preparing a PhD thesis on this subject would easily find a job corresponding to their expertise. More complex is what should be ‘‘research’’ in analytical chemistry, and in particular in AES. In contrast to what non-analysts think, research cannot be confined to the use of an analytical method, as sophisticated as it might be. It is similar with computers: using complex softwares does not mean that we are computerists.