There is often a call for 'translational' research, taking theoretical results and finding applications in the real world. This can be immensely powerful, think of the way quantum mechanics is being harnessed in the latest digital technology. However, it can sometimes feel like shoe-horning what was essentially theory for its own sake into ill-fitting niches.
Applied research in contrast starts with a problem and looks for existing knowledge that can solve it. Again incredibly beneficial, but, as essentially a service role, it can limit academic advancement.
In this talk I examine a third way, starting with real problems, and, just like applied research, solving them using existing knowledge, but all the while looking for the barriers to getting the best results, or gaps in the existing research that would have improved the solution. These then create new theoretical challenges, which, as they are solved, are guaranteed to be useful.
This talk presented to participants at the BHCI 2020 virtual Doctoral Consortium, but was adapted from an earlier talk given at a Not Equal Network sandpit event in February 2020.
Video
Slides
|
