Encouraging
Academic Creativity in
Research.
Prof.(MRS.) A.A.AGANGA
Federal University
OYE-EKITI
Good Morning
 Mr.
Vice
Chancellor Sir,
 Professors
 Academic
Colleagues
 Non-Academics
 Students
 Ladies
and
Gentlemen
 It
is a privilege and honour to stand
here and speak before this academic
community on a topic that is crucial
to our profession as academia.
 University job description for
academic staff can easily be divided
into three parts namely :
 TEACHING
 RESEARCH
 SERVICE.
 This
presentation is focusing on the
research part of our job description.
 In academics , YOU ARE PAID FOR
TEACHING,
 AND YOU ARE PROMOTED FOR
PUBLISHING.
 AS
THE SAYING GOES………….
 PUBLISH OR PERISH.
 PLEASE PUBLISH. In order to
publish , we have to carry out
RESEARCH STUDIES.
 WHAT IS RESEARCH ??????????
INTRODUCTION



Research and experimental development is
creative work undertaken systematically to
increase the stock of knowledge, including
knowledge of humanity, culture and society, and
the use of this knowledge to devise new
applications (OECD, 1995).
Research is used to establish or confirm facts,
reaffirm the results of previous work, solve new
or existing problems, support theorems, or
develop new theories.
Research forms can be scientific which is a
commonly used criterion for judging the standing
of an academic institution.
RESEARCH
 Research
is to go about seeking.
 It’s definition includes any gathering
of data, information and facts for the
advancement of knowledge.
 Research in humanities can be
historical using primary sources and
other evidence to systematically
investigate a topic.
 Artistic
research can be practicebased research.
 Research is a process of steps used
to collect and analyze information to
increase our understanding of a topic
or issue.
 Trochim (2006) stated that
research is often conducted using the

 Hourglass
model structure of
research.
 The hourglass model starts with a
broad spectrum for research,
focusing in on the required
information through the method of
the project then expands the
research in the form of discussion of
results.
 Creswell
(2008) reported that the
major steps in conducting research
are as follows:
 Identification of research problem
 Literature review
 Specifying the purpose of research
 Determine specific research
questions or hypotheses
A
useful hypothesis allows prediction
within the accuracy of observation of
the time, the prediction will be
verified.
 There are two ways to conduct
research.
 Primary research –using original
documents and data.
 Secondary
research-using secondary
sources, i.e. a synthesis of,
interpretation of, or discussions
about primary sources.
 Research designs:
 There are two major research
designs: qualitative research and
quantitative research.
 Qualitative
research involves
collecting word –type data that is
analyzed searching for themes.
 Often used as a method of
exploratory research.
 Quantitative research is a systematic
empirical investigation of
quantitative properties and
phenomena and their relationships.
 Designs
are experimental, correlation
al and survey.
 Data
collection
 Analyzing and interpreting data
 Reporting and evaluating research
 The steps generally are guidelines.
 Rocco et al. (2011) stated that most
researches begin with a general
statement of the problem or rather,
the purpose for engaging in the
study.
 Literature
review identifies flaws or
holes in previous research which
provides justification for the study.
 A gap in the current literature as
identified by a researcher then
engenders a research question.
Creativity and Innovation in
Research
 People
need to be innovative and
creative within their surroundings in
order to live and progress.
 Humans are capable of imagining,
formulating hypotheses, planning
and carrying out something new and
worthy, establishing objectives and
putting in order one’s priorities.
Innovation
 Innovation
is affected by a diversity
of factors. Some of these factors are
internal and individual (sensitivity,
flexibility, motivation, ability to
analyse etc.)and others such as
education, personal interactions, and
social context.
Creativity
 Creativity
is defined by divergent
thinking, originality, flexibility,
independence, the motivation to
succeed, sensitivity, the capacity for
inventiveness, imagination etc.
 Creativity is defined by the capacity
to change the patterns of perception
established by experience, in order
to develop patterns of action.
 The
development of creative
attitudes is crucial. One must take
into account the three fundamental
components of attitude (cognitive,
emotional and behavioral).
 Creativity is that characteristic of
human behaviour that seems the
most mysterious, and yet most
crucial to human advancement.
 The
capacity to solve problems in
new ways and to produce works that
are novel, appropriate, and socially
valued is ability that has fascinated
people for centuries.
 Most creativity research concerns the
nature of creative thinking, the
distinctive characteristics of the
creative person, the development of
creativity across the individual life
span, and the social environment
most strongly associated with
creative activity (Simonton, 2007).
 Hazelkorn (2012) stated that, there
has been a noted policy shift towards
measuring the value and benefit of
University-based research.


The emphasis has switched to
looking for outcomes ( the level of
performance or achievement
including the contribution research
makes to the advancement of
scientific-scholarly knowledge and
ultimately to requiring an impact and
benefit for example the contribution
of research outcomes for society,
 Culture,
the environment, and/or the
economy.
 Traditionally, the emphasis has been
on measuring research income,
bibliometrics and citations.
 The emphasis on global impact
undermines the importance of
regionally or culturally relevant
research.
The impact has been measured by
peer accountability rather than social
accountability.
 Stuart (2009) stated that in order to
raise the creativity and productivity
of academic research community,
Colleges and Universities may
consider the following suggestions:


Suggestions for new Incentive
systems
 Require
all faculty members to
submit an annual report indicating
 i. articles written or book chapters
for edited books.
 ii. books authored
 iii. books edited.
 iv . Consulting activities for
governments, corporations, or other
entities that use academic
knowledge.
V
. Papers presented or speeches
made.
 Vi. Mentoring of Ph.D or MSc.
theses.
 Favourable book reviews
 Awards received
 Grants received
 Software developed
 Encourage
multi-disciplinary research
between faculties.
 For example joint research between
Engineering and medicine to solve
health problems in many areas.
 Research between Agriculture and
Engineering to produce appropriate
technology for food production and
processing.
 Research
between disciplines for
example history, drama, script
writing and film production. Such
research will bring to life mile -stone
events in the country and the world.
It will also provide reliable
documents for learning in the
concerned areas of specialization.
Academic Leadership Roles
 Ensure
that merit bears correlation
to the data that is included in those
annual reports.
 Each department head should be
required to show a kind of
regression, correlation, or simple
graphic analysis showing the
relations.
 Professors MUST mentor
 And
provide leadership in research.
 Research teams should be part of the
research culture within and between
Departments.
 Develop a performance
management system where faculty
sign a performance agreement with
the University on the key research
objectives of the University .
Adequate Research Facilities
 Have
good facilities on campus in
terms of libraries, ICT and secretarial
support.
 Provide research laboratories which
are adequately equipped to facilitate
laboratory analyses and procedures.
 Necessary research vehicles should
be provided especially for surveys.
Research Funds
 Grant
money for business travel and
for hiring research assistants.
 University should set up Research
and Publication Committee (RPC).
 RPC should have funds to assist
academic staff with funds for
research through competitive
research proposal application
method.
 Provision
of funds for paying
publication fees in referenced
journals.
 Provision of assistance to researchers
to process patent (s) for their
inventions will definitely encourage
creativity in University research.
 Organisation of open days to show
case research findings .
Research Funds
 Application
for national and
international research funds should
be encouraged .
 Research Monitoring and Evaluation
Unit should be set up within the
University made up of academic staff
with long research and publication
records.
 The
M&E Unit should monitor
research project execution and
adequate evaluation should be done
to ensure standard research ethics
are observed.
 Routine academic seminars should
be organised in Departments, in
which faculty members present their
ongoing research for about thirty
minutes and the second half hour on
 Seminars
should include both junior
and senior faculty.
 Encourage good graduate students
to work with faculty members on
joining projects.
 Require seminar papers to be
publishable either jointly or
separately.
 Submit
articles on creative
achievement to the departmental
newsletters, the faculty newspaper
and professional newsletters.
 Hold regular meetings on how to
make the Departments more
productive and more creative.
 Creative
teaching and practical
should be encouraged whereby
faculty members present their
creative ideas in the classroom when
appropriate and encourage feedback
from students.
 Stuart (2009) stated that even at
major universities, only five percent
of the faculty write 95% of the
books.
CONCLUSION
 In
conclusion , Research and
Publication culture should be
cultivated in the University.
 Creative research should be
recognized and celebrated.
 A performance reward system can be
adopted to encourage creativity in
research.
References
 Creswell,
J.W. 2008. educational
research planning, conducting, and
evaluating quantitative and
qualitative research.(3rd). Upper
Saddle River, NJ. Prentice Hall.
 Hazelkorn, E.2012.Measuring value:
societal Benefit of Research. The
Chronicle of Higher Education.
Firefox HTML Document.30179
 OECD.
1995. The measurement of
scientific technology activities
proposed guidelines for collecting
and interpreting technology
Innovation Data. Oslo manual 2nd
edition, DSTI,OECD/European
Commission Eurostat, Paris.
 Rocco,
T.S., Hatcher, T., and
Creswell, J.W. 2011. The handbook
of scholarly writing and publishing,
San Francisco, CA: John Wiley and
sons.
 Simonton,D.K. 2007. Review of
creativity: Theories and
themes:Research, development and
practice.In Psychology of Aethetics
Creativity and the Arts.
 Stuart,N.2009.
Encouraging
Academic Creativity In Research. The
Innovation journal.
www.innovation.cc/discssionpapers/creativity-research.htm.
 Trochim,W.M.K. 2006. Research
methods knowledge
base.wiki/research.
 THANK
YOU LADIES & GENTLEMEN
FOR YOUR TIME.
 THANK
TIME.
YOU EVERYBODY FOR YOUR