Reflections on Using Creative Methods in My Research Process
Written by Hannah Hube
As a student researcher in the Knotweed Lab, I’ve had the unique experience of learning from and partnering with students in the natural sciences, art, and my discipline, psychology. Many approaches to brainstorming and problem-solving have been explored during my time on the team.
One specific instance that stands out to me was when our team discussed the artistic design of our flyers that addressed how knotweed can affect the salmon population. In the creative process of visual prototyping, the main goal was knowledge dissemination.
Each team member was able to contribute ideas about the design of the flyers to ensure that the flyers artistically portrayed the problem of knotweed in salmon habitats with scientific accuracy while maintaining a style and design that would appeal to the general public.
Using creative methods in my workflow
Methods explored in this project have helped me creatively explore and address how I can effectively use the research process in a meaningful way.
In September 2022, shortly after joining the knotweed team, I started working on my undergraduate thesis in psychology. I first generated new ideas through media scanning, focusing on identifying psychological problems relevant to society today.
By addressing expressions of frustration, statistics, and ideas outside of my discipline, I was better equipped to narrow down a research problem that was of significant interest to me and that addressed problems in the population. After identifying specific problems, I looked at the scientific literature and found that the identified problems were relevant in the literature as well.
To narrow down my study design, I used the idea prioritization matrix, in which I placed all ideas gathered from research and the media in a visual format. I created a graph with ‘likely benefit’ on the y-axis and ‘feasibility’ on the x-axis.
Creating this graph allowed me to separate my ideas to determine which research questions and methods of research were of high priority and compelling.
Conclusion
Before joining the knotweed team, my research methods were often disorganized, as I faced difficulty determining which presenting problems were most significant.
Usually, my methods looked like having 100+ tabs open on my browser, trying to find salient problems in the academic literature. After implementing creative methods that employ visual design, my organization and efficiency in the research process have improved drastically.
I plan to use such creative methods of knowledge dissemination throughout my career as an academic and as a scholar. Adopting a community approach to research design and knowledge mobilization—that is, seeking input from diverse disciplinary backgrounds—will help me in my pursuit to make great impacts through research.
For anybody wondering, adopting creative methods is of incredible significance for both enjoyment of and efficiency in the research process.