I have asked question on the minimum input to any research. I also mentioned the following

·       An example can lead to a science

·       A case study can lead to a theory

·       A proof can lead to a top journal paper

·       A counterexample can overthrow an existing theory

·       A story can lead to a book

·       An approach can lead to an industry

·       A formula can lead to a world class company (Dupont, Google)

·       An idea can rich a country, industry, family and individual and found a research field or discipline (McKinsey & Company)

From here we can infer that the minimum input to any research is an idea, a written or recorded idea. In traditional time, we wrote our idea on the paper, as soon as we can, in order to develop it as a part of research. In the age of trinity: big data, analytics and artificial intelligence, we can record our idea using start phone, WebChat, Facebook, Twitter, QQ, emails and their media.

From a research viewpoint, idea should be classified further. For example, idea is original to an individual, a community and a country and the world. If the idea is original to the individual, then she or he can record it as a part of curiosity and process it further. If the idea is original to a community, then the community can develop it as a research and  development. If  the  idea is original to a country, then the country might use funds to develop it as national project. If the idea is original to the world, then it can be developed by researchers to project, journal papers, and other artefacts.

The basic characteristics of original idea is that it is in the set of unknown to an individual, a community and a country and the world and interesting to each of them respectively. 

Prof. Dr Zhaohao Sun

2017-8-15