As I am sure you are aware, academia does not
actively promote curiosity and exploring unknowns. Researchers are encouraged
to follow in others' footsteps, which while ultimately building a basis for
future work it may also stifle breaking new ground. How to balance these? One
technique is to cultivate "conscious ignorance." Become fascinated
with what you do not know; keep a research journal in which you allow yourself
to speculate and consider new directions. In these pages be foolish, make leaps
of imagination, and consider new areas. Then begin to follow these up and
explore how these ideas fit into the current thinking in your field. I do not
recommend taking the early musing to your faculty, but they are a great way to
jumpstart your brain and let you consider new potentials and theoretical ideas.
Next time, we will consider where you are going. Do you have
an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post?
Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu
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