Chapter 21 That Right Idea
Before "Testing Your Ideas" (2021-11-25How to make a scientific idea a real innovation - 简书 (jianshu.com)), scientists need to narrow down among multiple "exciting" ideas to a specific one, which means it is necessary to prioritize those ideas and put many also "stimulating" ideas aside. But how to make the choice?
Ness proposed four ways to "whittle down to only the number of conjectures you can handle. "
1. The first way to safely exclude ideas is to jettison ones that can be rejected by evidence: The most likely hypothesis is usually the one with the least evidence against it, not the one with the most evidence for it. It means that you need to do enough paper work to qualify each idea.
2. A second way to limit the ideas you will commit to moving forward is to restrict yourself to those that are most plausible, actionable, and useful. The puzzle still exists when you believe that all ideas obey the three criteria. And it is the usual case if those ideas are came from brainstorming, without afterwards literature digging.
3. A third approach for prioritizing ideas is rapid prototyping. The idea came from the IDEO design firm, but I do not see how can it be applied into prioritizing scientific ideas.
4. A fourth approach to prioritization is to interact with the world. That is, talk to any one (who will follow) about your ideas, collect the feedback, and figure out the best one.
5. Finally, the decision may not be an either–or. "Eithor-or" means either is ok. Thus, no focus at all!
According to my experience, the first (literature digging) and the last (circulate your ideas and collect feedback) should have the most classifying power for scientific investigators to find the best idea. Be notice that "Ideas are not babies. Throwing them out is not heinous—it is necessary."
A good scientific idea should have the power to drive you moving forward constantly. In Making Ideas Happen (2010), Scott Belsky asks, "How many times have you had a great idea for a new product or device or even for a book, but never moved it to fruition?" Asking yourself how many times ideas appear in your mind and disappear unnoticeably? Why is that? Because they are not organized!
Belsky proposes a three-step procedures for organizing an idea/project: Action Steps, Backburner, and References.
"Action steps are the project- specific, concrete tasks that move the innovation project forward. Your first set of action steps is to phrase your question. Within this, there are multiple tasks, each consisting of multiple steps. A “to- do” list becomes the backbone of your action steps. The list breaks down each stage of the project into a series of steps and each step into bite- sized actions. So for finding and phrasing the question, some of the steps may be: make a list of questions you are passionate about; map out a search strategy, go to the source to observe, and so forth." It's quite instructive and practical!
"While pursuing action steps, other ideas pop up. Rather than setting off immediately in those directions, Belsky recommends putting these into a Backburner. The Backburner is a running list of possible future projects. The trick is to stay focused while not cutting off exciting new avenues. If you keep your Backburner on the side so it is not distracting but make sure to review it regularly, then you can pull off useful insights or solutions. If time allows, then you can even start to work on something new." In short, focus on a specific idea/project, but at the same time pay attention to those potential research avenues, and write them down for future reviews.
"References are the totality of information you acquire."
Only have been organized, does an idea find its feet on the ground. And only if an idea has the energy to keep you moving forward unceasingly, it is The One you are looking for, with the top priority. The point is never try to judge an idea only based on pure thinking. It only can be done correctly by making it organized.
More lessions are given by Ness:
To tackle a creative problem requires uninterrupted time.
Always, always believe in yourself. Innovative projects can take a long time, and time instills self- doubt.
When fear of failure rears its ugly head, see it for what it is.
