Cycles of Invention and Discovery

Venkatesh Narayanamurti, Toluwalogo Odumosu

This book argues that the standard categories of research as "basic" or "applied" have become a hindrance to the actual practice of research. The historical understanding of the basic vs. applied dichotomy is contrasted with the perspectives and lived experiences of researchers in various institutions. Using Nobel Prize-winning work as examples, the book explores the daily micro-practices of research and shows how the distinction of "basic" and "applied" quickly loses salience when one pays attention to the actual practice of research. The book offers an alternative view of the research process that sees the processes of discovery and invention as two sides of the same coin. By considering research as an integrative process that can lead to inventions and/or discoveries, this book provides a new model for understanding the practice of research.--