Dear Colleague: Your contribution will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Best regards, Shafagat
Curiosity & wonder along with good good grasp of background knowledge, passion for research and hard work .
“Wonder, connected with a principle of rational curiosity, is the source of all knowledge and discovery, and it is a principle even of piety; but wonder which ends in wonder, and is satisfied with wonder, is the quality of an idiot.”
―Samuel Horsley
Self-experimentation as a source of new ideas!
Little is known about how to generate plausible new scientific ideas. So it is noteworthy that 12 years of self-experimentation led to the discovery of several surprising cause-effect relationships and suggested a new theory of weight control, an unusually high rate
of new ideas.
See link!
http://www.stat.columbia.edu/~gelman/graphics.course/selfexp.pdf
Dear @Subhash C. Kundu ,
Thank you very much for opinion and link.
Regards, Shafagat
Dear Shafagat -
It is said that "Necessity is the mother of invention," and i think that proper and true, but I'd like to think that curiosity is part of it also.
Cheers - Jim
Curiosity & wonder along with good good grasp of background knowledge, passion for research and hard work .
“Wonder, connected with a principle of rational curiosity, is the source of all knowledge and discovery, and it is a principle even of piety; but wonder which ends in wonder, and is satisfied with wonder, is the quality of an idiot.”
―Samuel Horsley
Yes, necessity, curiosity, but above all our capacity of concentration and intelligent analysis are the main ingredients, that build our will to advance.
Distress and lack of confidence are the worst enemies of scientific research...
I'd heard - some time ago in some "training" at work (an outside lecture which was actually quite good), I think - that most progress in a field comes from people with expertise outside of that field. Paradigms are good for keeping our thoughts and actions organized, but new thinking comes from "outside of the box." However, I think most of this builds on the established. An entirely new direction would be, I think, and I think should be, rare. - "All progress is change, but not all change is progress."
New ideas lie at the misty fringes of the known to be clearly seen by an individual through sustained observation and through extraordinary effort.
Best
Syed
Rejection, modeling / experimentation and observation. All Sciences are based on observations. We are forced to advance by questioning and rejecting.
The introduction of mathematics revealed a new tool in scientific advancement. I recall the ancient philosophical concept introduced by Pythagoras and Plato, the Music of the Spheres that describes and relates to the movements of celestial bodies as a form of a music. “Pythagoras first identified that the pitch of a musical note is in proportion to the length of the string that produces it, and that intervals between harmonious sound frequencies form simple numerical ratios”.
The Music of the Spheres incorporates the principle that mathematical relationships express qualities or "tones" of energy which manifest in numbers, visual angles, shapes and sounds – all connected within a pattern of proportion.
The existence of “physical bodies / nuclear bodies” both at the microcosm and macrocosm reinstitute the principle that mathematical relationships which manifest by shapes and numbers – all connected by a pattern of proportion – could in effect be at the origin of new observations in biomedical research.
Diagnosis involved discovering the source of the disturbance of equilibrium, and treatment involved a procedure that would restore equilibrium. This Pythagorean view of health as a balance could be crucial in positioning “physical/nuclear bodies” in the center of cell functioning.
Research ideas and research problems originate from many sources. We discuss four of these sources in the text: everyday life, practical issues, past research, and theory. Regardless of the source of your idea, a key point is that you must develop a questioning and inquisitive approach to life when you are trying to come up with research ideas.
• Everyday life is one common source of research ideas. Based on a questioning and inquisitive approach, you can draw from your experiences and come up with many research topics. For example, think about what educational techniques or practices you believe work well, or do not work well. Would you be interested in doing a research study on one or more of those techniques or practices?
• Practical issues can be a source of research ideas. What are some current problems facing education (e.g., facing administrators, teachers, students, parents). What research topics do you think can address some of these current problems?
• Past research can be an excellent source of research ideas. Past research is probably the most important source of research ideas. That’s because a great deal of educational research has already been conducted on a multitude of topics, and, importantly, research usually generates more questions than it answers. This is also the best way to come up with a specific idea that will fit into and extend the research literature. For students planning on writing a thesis or dissertation, the use of past research is extremely helpful, and remember to not just look at the variables and the results, but also carefully examine how they conducted the study.
http://www.southalabama.edu/coe/bset/johnson/lectures/lec3.pdf
Dear Shafagat,
Producing new ideas is a process:
The production of ideas is just as definite a process as the production of Fords- James Webb Young
it actually requires the hardest kind of intellectual work to follow, so that not all who accept it use it
The two general principles of ideas:
James describes two principles of the production of ideas, which I really like:
1. an idea is nothing more or less than a new combination of old elements
2. the capacity to bring old elements into new combinations depends largely on the ability to see relationships
Criticize your ideas—don’t accept them immediately
Do not make the mistake of holding your idea close to your chest at this stage. Submit it to the criticism of the judicious.
Set aside time
John says your thoughts need time to settle down before your creativity will feel safe enough to emerge and get to work. Setting aside time to think regularly can be a good way to train your mind to relax, eventually making this set time a safe haven for your tortoise mind to start putting together connections that could turn into ideas.
Find a creative space
Setting aside time regularly sends a signal to your brain that it’s safe to work on creative ideas. Finding a particular space to be creative in can help, too.
This is a most welcome and interesting question...me too, I tend to believe that our past research is the source of new idea and new topics...it may be a paeadox, but the more experienced a researcher is, the more questions, ideas and research problems she finds...well, this may be true only for the fundamental research that we practice.
And I think that scientific research is indeed like a passing through multiple gates that may be unlocked only with observations, knowledge, learning by doing, new ideas, methods, new concepts, ultimately new outcomes.
Dear Shafagat,
In short to say: A needy brain is the promising source!
Dear @Ranjita Santra,
Thank you so much for opinion.
Regards, Shafagat
Dear @Vladimir Valentinovich Egorov,
Thanks for answer.
Regards, Shafagat
Dear @Mahfuz Judeh,
Thank you very much for interestin opinion and link.
Regards, Shafagat
Dear @Simona Frone,
Thanks for interesting answer.
Good lucky, Shafagat
Dear @Behrouz Ahmadi-Nedushan,
Thank you very much for comment.
Regards, Shafagat
Dear @Vassilis Doucas ,
Thank you very much for interesting opinion.
Regards, Shafagat
The source of new ideas may be new insights into the science area, new application area, merging the knowledge of different scientific fields...
I have made some contributions to thread which is related to this one my dear @Shafagat.
https://www.researchgate.net/post/How_new_ideas_in_science_are_generated
Dear @Maria Bettencourt Pires,
Thank you so much for opinion.
Regards, Shafagat
Dear @Syed Abbas Jafar,
Thank you very much for answer.
Regards, Shafagat
Dear @Ljubomir Jacić ,
Thank you very much for interesting answer and useful link.
Regards, Shafagat
Dear @Eraldo have had a fine thread with more than 850 answers on how to spark new ideas for future scientific research.
https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_is_an_idea
Thank you for the invitation.
I agree with the very interesting views of the colleagues.
I consider that the human brain which is dominated by the thirst to go further is an important source of new ideas in scientific research, as pointed out by Dr. Egorov and Dr. Seraji.
Regards
Dear sir,
i think nothing is great behind this. interaction with people from child to old generation.
different age people have different thinking.
community differs, location differs.
problem may differs. because all of us may not have the same problem across the world.
so many areas are there till didn't touched and further research required in the world.
world is becoming global village but problems are not solving properly in one country.
this has to take care by every educates in each of his/her country.
thanks a lot sir
phani.
Thanks Dear @Phani Bhaskar Pasumarthy for answer.
Regards, Shafagat
Dear @Aristidis Matsoukis,
Thank you very much for opinion.
Regards, Shafagat
As described in the link below, the final push to scientific breakthroughs are often provided by serendipity (fortunate happenstance). So, one of the important things for getting a new idea in research is to acquire the ability not to miss serendipity.
https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/4852/science-and-serendipity-famous-accidental-discoveries
Dear @Tatsuo Tabata,
Thank you so much for answer and link.
Regards, Shafagat
Dear Phani,
When I hear this phrase as the world becoming a global village, I Don't feel good. As this terminology is used by "Haves" for "Haves-Not", i.e., when North talking to South. , this type of literature is used.
Regards!
Many a times our mundane life will stand as new sources of new ideas. Some unforeseen problems that would arise will also give a clue as to how to solve them.
Need is mother of every invention and needs keep changing with time and circumstances. Say for example the increasing population needs increased food production and this demanded development of techniques of increasing food production. Increased need of energy required new ideas for finding new sources of energy. Increased pollution level due to conventional sources of energy also added need of new ideas of developing sources of pollution free energy. Urge of breaking records also demands new ideas. Say for example to break record of reaching highest height in space by a balloon, reaching lowest depth in a sea, reaching shortest travel time for travelling by train, or plane, etc. need newer ideas. Newer ideas are always needed to solve widely different problems, if conventional ideas are not solving problems.
Creativity - and conditions / circumstances permitting creativity
Dear @Yatendra Singh Jain,
Thank you very much for interesting opinion.
Regards, Shafagat
New ideas cannot be "ordered" or even achieved by pressure, they can develop i an environment of free spirit / free thinking (which creates creativity)
Dear @Philipp Albert Schnabel,
Thank you very much for interesting opinion.
Regards, Shafagat
Dear respected RG members
Non-stop thinking with concentration!
With best regards
IJAZ
In my opinion,literature survey is one of the best source to find research gap and thus to find a new idea to fill that gap.
Dear Shafagat,
I think that study and rest after, and then one can see other ways to continue or other bridges to build.
The contact with problems. Before to try solve them, it is important to make more question about them.
The set and wideness of methodology required to solve the problem attracts more attention.
What is the source of new ideas in scientific research?
Hope this question allows us to think aloud to stretch scientific research to cover some unorthodox domains as stated in scripture like walking on water, can sun stand still for a day, religious healing, physical resurrection from death etc. If we can provide empirical research evidence will be good contribution to knowledge. If we can't is still fine as Edison had shared "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work". Hope we can fuel these scientific research with passion & perseverance.
Source of new ideas in scientific research is questioning allows us and always collect the literature and think about new ideas.
Q: “What is the source of new ideas in scientific research?”
A: Healthy and creative minds?
See the link: “Building scientific capacity in developing countries” by Eva Harris
(2004): The Summary:
“Simply transferring knowledge and instrumentation is not enough to help developing countries build their own research base. Such efforts must be tied to national and local needs to create trust and services for society in the long term.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1298969/
Curiosity, consciousness and application of wisdom give birth to the new ideas. Ideas are better solutions which needs curiosity followed by consciousness. Wisdom encourage our talents to apply previous knowledge, experience and experimentation to get a new solution.
I pleasure thank you very much for all comments, answers and opinion.
Regards, Shafagat
The following steps may help scientists to come up with new and creative ideas (Dryer, 2006):
1. Talking things over
2. Keeping an open mind
3. Brainstorming
4. Negative brainstorming
5. Viewing the problem from imaginative perspectives
6. Concentrating on anomalies
7. Focusing on byproducts
8. Viewing the problem from the perspective of another discipline
Source:
Cryer, P. (2006). The research student's guide to success. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
who always thinks for logical solution to any problem ....... and analyses it with....why, what & how.............
observe around your environment and think about the changes , its cause and source to overcome
Dear Dr. Mahmudova,
This may draw some laughter, but I think one source of new ideas is how grad students try to impress their professors with innovative and creative thoughts. From my observation, many professors/researchers got some impressive ideas from their students.
Sincerely,
Cameen
Conception of a new idea often occurs in an intuitive flash of insight, in which the more or less complete idea is revealed. Equations and logical analysis come later. Someone who is reading scholarly publications in a library sees the final result in a format that is quite different from its initial conception. The fact that the public presentation is different from the way the idea initially occurred can lead to misunderstandings about how science is actually accomplished.
One of the principal ways to be creative is to look for alternative ways to view a phenomena or for alternative ways to ask a question. It is easy to ask questions that are trivial to solve. It is easy to ask questions that require extraordinary effort (e.g., 50 man-years of effort and millions of dollars in expenses) to solve. It is surprisingly difficult to find questions that lie in between these two extremes, and also have a result that is worth knowing.
One often-cited example of creativity is George de Mestral's observation of how cockleburs attach to clothing, which led him to invent the hook-and-loop fastener known as Velcro®. He transformed a common nuisance to a useful product. When one looks backward in time to analyze how a creative act was made, one often finds that creators made a novel interpretation of a well-known fact or occurrence. Often the interpretation converted a disadvantage into an advantage.
Another commonly cited example of creativity is Art Fry's development of Post-It® removable notes at 3M Corporation in 1974. Dr. Spencer Silver, another 3M scientist, had developed a polymer adhesive that formed microscopic spheres instead of a uniform coating, and thus was a poor adhesive that took years to set. Fry wanted a better bookmark for his church hymnal, so he used Silver's adhesive.
https://notendur.hi.is/~joner/eaps/n5-create.htm
Most of the knowledge and much of the genius of the research worker lie behind his selection of what is worth observing. It is a crucial choice, often determining the success or failure of months of work, often differentiating the brilliant discoverer from an otherwise admirable but entirely unproductive plodder.
— Alan Gregg
Perspiration, perusal and pondering are essential for generation of new idea in science and technology.
The noticed contradictions between different scientific statements may cause a desire to find a correct answers.
I think: real life experience, knowledge, curiosity, and desire to solve problems.
According to Newton, patient and keen observation plays a role in making discoveries:
If I have made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention than to any other talent.”. -Sir Isaac Newton
The new ideas from research gate (review of literature ,recommendations of other researches ,observation , phenomena, repeat of mistakes )
It could be a conversation with anybody that gives you an idea, reading something, watching a movie / video or going for a walk.
Michael. Yes. It happened once with me while discussing a novel phenomenon observed by us, it suddenly dawned an explanation for this result.
Curiosity, intuition, fantasy, unscrupulousness and a little bit of intelligence
Dear @Brenda Jacono,
Thank you very much for unteresting opinion.
Regards, Shafagat
Dear Madam,
Many researchers given very interesting ideas so for. many of them said correctly.
we should Rome around the problems and issues. so that we can know the many situations which leads to that problem.
we should go through the previous work done by the seniors who did the research in that issue.
then we can get to know the in and around the problems or difficulties in the world.
thanks phani.
In my opinion everything can be the source for new ideas – walking in nature, reading articles and books, discussions with colleagues, questions of our students… The most important is to have “eyes” for new ideas, to “feel” them, to recognize them. To find a new idea we should have enough knowledge and imagination. New ideas are like seeds. They need adequate soil. That is why It is important our brain and our mind to be prepared for them.
Scientific research in our present century has made remarkable & enviable progress in the scientific & technological development where their zenith has enter in to planetary touch it is very likely that scientific research certainly make a progress in our present time.
In the line with the present range of the scientific including electronic media development .It is not necessary that consideration of population of different level of economic conditions, scientific research now should also concentration on such product where due to the economic condition they may not have to go for certain product of necessary range they may convenient come out with the research where such people can afford the similar range of product at their pocket prices.
This is my personal opinion
Dear all,
Sources of new ideas in scientific research: attempting to solve existing problems in science, creativity and imagination.
I agree with Behrouz Ahmadi-Nedushan that conception of a new idea in an intuitive flash of insight on a project we are working on , the so called 'eureka ' moment . It can occur at any time & disappear very soon . It is preferable to keep a paper & pen to immediately note it down immediately before it disappears . It is always preferable to avoid multi tasking in a job to avoid diversions in thinking . The complex way our brain functions , is difficult to analyze at the present moment .
Dear Dr. Shafagat Mahmudova
Brain storming and self-experimentation work as a source of new ideas
Dear Shafagat,
I think that the source of new ideas in scientific research is the truth.
There must be an "environment" (scientific, temporal, finantial, distance/ objectivity, honesty, idealism, ...) in which ideas can grow!
Other source of new ideas in scientific research is to dedicate time in calm of rational reflection around a concrete problem or aspect.
Shafagat et al.:
It is observed that several scientists with great depth of knowledge and with all seriousness work hard all their life but ultimately produce nothing of fundamental importance - while in contrast, certain carefree scientists with certain penetrating attitude of mind discover something of fundamental importance in whatever subject they undertake. So it is not just a new idea but the strength of a new Idea generated within known by sheer perseverance which matters!
Best
Syed
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