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Show page 16 , Spring 2004 A "Creative Process" for Research BY STEPHANIE RICHARDSON Creativity is not usually associated with research. In fact, research is associated with such regulations and conformity that creativity, as we usually think of it, is often discouraged. For example, the steps and expectations for protection of human subjects are prescribed such that acting outside the norms can jeopardize our subjects' safety and privacy. No one wants that. However, I argue that there is room, lots of room, for creativity in research endeavors. Further, I believe that an understanding of the process of creativity as developed by Edwards (1995) can greatly enhance the process of research. It can also help us teach and coach students through their dissertations. We have all gotten stuck in a project. Faculty and students get gummed up in choosing a topic, in limiting the scope of a project, in securing resources, in beginning and continuing and ending. It is painful and difficult to find a solvent that allows us to move freely. I believe that much of our problem with progression can be either prevented or solved by applying what Edwards asserts about creativity to our research process. The process of creativity involves five main stages, according to Edwards: insight, saturation, incubation, illumination and verification. The first phase, insight, is the period where you experience the, "Gee! I wonder why...?" Insight is usually unconscious and kinetic, a nagging "problem" feeling, where something is just a little odd about something. For many, insight can also be a visual phase, where our ordinary surroundings or usual practices are seen in a different light and with different emphases. Insight is generally impaired by attempts to verbalize it. In research, insight correlates with problem identification. Getting started on a problem can be a source of high anxiety, particularly for graduate students beginning research. You can help them by instructing them to pay attention to their intuitions. If something isn't quite right, or is intriguing, they may have identified their problem. You might also ask them to look at things in a different way, either literally or metaphorically. What would the student see if you shook it up, moved it to another place? Finally, silence during observation can enhance this phase, so instruct the student to quiet themselves and open their eyes. However, once the discrepancy makes itself apparent, most will need assistance in putting this insight into words. You can help the student distill the problem into |