Research contributions: The role of the iconoclast

Abstract

The nature of "normal" research, as practiced by the vast majority of researchers, is that it is incremental. Research designs typically build on the work of prior research. Existing standards of rigour are, more or less, upheld. Findings conform, to a greater or lesser extent, with what was predicted. There is nothing inherently wrong with this process, yet the incremental nature of research designs tends to lead to incremental contributions. With time, and considerable effort, these findings can accumulate into something more substantial, but it tends to be a slow and drawn-out process. Is this the best way to build knowledge in a time of rapid technological change? Occasionally a more radically innovative contribution is developed. It may take the form of a new theory that departs in some significant way from prior work. It may be a new method, tool, or technique that goes beyond the mere tweaking of earlier methods, tools, and techniques. In more revolutionary forms, the new contribution may be so novel, so groundbreaking, that it destroys the very foundations of earlier work, setting out a new paradigm for future work (Kuhn, 1962). This revolutionary approach to research is sparked by a person sometimes referred to as an iconoclast. Iconoclasts are, probably fortunately, few and far between. Fortunately, because too much destruction means too little accumulation of knowledge and experience, too little repetition of what works before it is overthrown, and too much risk that faulty paradigms will emerge and consume our limited attention. Pagel (2012) observes that copying is an excellent survival technique: we do not all need to be iconoclastic innovators. Berns (2010, pp. 5-6) defines an iconoclast as "a person who does something that others say can't be done," noting that the Nobel prize is "the crown-jewel of paradigm-shifting iconoclastic thinking." In order to do what others say cannot be done, the budding iconoclast must both be familiar with prior work and yet also embrace novelty and even "alien thinking" (cf. Davison, 2017). The act of embracing novelty requires challenging the current state of the art, developing a compelling new narrative and design, and then putting that design into practice, demonstrating its superiority over earlier instantiations. This kind of work takes many years or lifetimes: iconoclasts start the process, but their work needs to be accepted and mainstreamed by many others for the new ideas to be more widely accepted. Novelty often inspires fear because we tend to shun unfamiliar things. Fear thus acts as an inhibitor of novelty. In the context of academic research, there are three specific fears: fear of uncertainty, fear of failure, and fear of public ridicule (Berns, 2010). First, the fear of uncertainty is often rooted in cultural norms, whether of societies or professional associations. For instance, we may be uncertain as to whether we have expressed a new idea in a logical and convincing way; if our supporting arguments are strong enough; if a particular course of acti...

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