Creativity in Research

Research depends on creativity, but few researchers receive any training in managing their own creative work, and the structure of contemporary academic careers often works against it. This book offers practical direction for anyone who conducts research or supervises others who do.

Its approach grows out of a curriculum created at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. Rather than listing techniques alone, the author sets out the core abilities that support creative research work, drawing on scientific studies of creative confidence and combining them with hands-on exercises and structured reflection.

The book asks readers to pay attention to the process of doing research as well as to its end products. Doing so can help researchers tackle difficult problems and produce work they value. It can also change how they feel about their work, easing stress and a punishing inner critic in favor of a more open and emotionally resilient outlook.