Abstract
The notions of science and scientific research are discussed and the motivations for doing research are analyzed. Research can span a broad range of approaches, from purely theoretical to practice-oriented; different approaches often coexist and fertilize each other. Research ignites human progress and societal change. In turn, society drives and supports research. The specific role of research in Informatics is discussed. Informatics is driving the current transition towards the new digital society in which we will live in the future.
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Notes
- 1.
In [34], P.E. Medawar discusses what he calls the “snobismus” of pure versus applied science. In his words, this is one of the most damaging forms of snobbism, which draws a class distinction between pure and applied science.
- 2.
Originality, rigor, and significance have been defined and used as the key criteria to evaluate research outputs by the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) [46]. A research evaluation exercise has been performed periodically since 1986 on UK higher education institutions and their research outputs have been rated according to their originality, rigor, and significance.
- 3.
The importance of realizing that “we don’t know” was apparently first stated by Socrates, according to Plato’s account of his thought. This is condensed in the famous paradox “I know that I don’t know.”
- 4.
This view applies mainly to natural and physical sciences.
- 5.
Roy Amara was President of the Institute for Future, a USA-based think tank, from 1971 until 1990.
- 6.
The Turing Award is generally recognized as the Nobel prize of Informatics.
- 7.
- 8.
Israel is a very good example. Investments in research resulted in a proliferation of new, cutting-edge enterprises. The term start-up nation has been coined by Dan Senor and Saul Singer in their successful book [51] to characterize this phenomenon.
- 9.
- 10.
- 11.
This figure has been adapted from a presentation by A. Fuggetta, which describes the mission of Cefriel, an Italian institution with a similar role of Fraunhofer, on a smaller scale.
- 12.
The ERC takes an ecumenical approach and calls the research sector “Computer Science and Informatics.”
- 13.
I discuss here the effect of “big data” on research, although most sectors of society—industry, finance, health, …—are also deeply affected.
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Ghezzi, C. (2020). What Is Research and Why We Do It. In: Being a Researcher. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45157-8_1
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