Why did Joseph Black and James Watt emphasize that they had worked independently?

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Joseph Black Joseph Black, detail of an engraving by J. Rogers after a portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn

Joseph Black and James Watt emphasized that their research was conducted independently to clarify the origins of their respective scientific and technical contributions. While they were close friends and maintained a productive correspondence, their work occurred in different spheres: Black was a professor investigating heat phenomena and latent heat at the University of Glasgow, while Watt was employed as an instrument maker at the same university, focusing on practical improvements to the steam engine.1

By asserting their independence, they ensured that Black’s theoretical discoveries regarding the nature of heat and Watt’s engineering innovations—which essentially utilized the principles of latent heat—were recognized as distinct, albeit complementary, achievements.1