Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Part I. Guiding principles. -- 1. Combining applied and basic research : the ABC principle -- 2. Blending science, engineering, and design : the SED principle -- Part II. Science, engineering, and design. -- 3. What science contributes : persistence in understanding the world -- 4. What engineering contributes : devotion to innovative technologies -- 5. What design contributes : fresh thinking to serve human needs -- Part III. Research life cycle strategies. -- 6. Choose actionable problems that address civic, business, and global priorities -- 7. Apply observation, intervention, and controlled experiments -- 8. Form teams with diverse individuals and organizations -- 9. Test ideas and prototypes with realistic interventions -- 10. Promote adoption and assess impact -- Part IV. Making it happen. -- 11. Recommendations for action -- 12. Change is hard, but possible.

The problems we face in the 21st century require innovative thinking from all of us, be it students, academics, business researchers, or government policy makers. Hopes for improving our healthcare, food supply, community safety, and environmental sustainability depend on the pervasive application of research solutions. The research heroes who take on the immense problems of our time face bigger challenges than ever, but if they adopt potent guiding principles and effective research life cycle strategies, they can produce the advances that will enhance the lives of many people. These inspirational research leaders will break free from traditional thinking, disciplinary boundaries, and narrow aspirations. They will be bold innovators and engaged collaborators, who are ready to lead, yet open to new ideas, self-confident, yet empathetic to others. In this book, Ben Shneiderman recognizes the unbounded nature of human creativity, the multiplicative power of teamwork, and the catalytic effects of innovation. He reports on the growing number of initiatives to promote more integrated approaches to research so as to promote the expansion of these efforts. It is meant as a guide to students and junior researchers, as well as a manifesto for senior researchers and policy makers. It aims to challenge widely held beliefs about how applied innovations evolve and how basic breakthroughs are made, and to help with plotting the course toward tomorrow's great advancements. -- from back cover.