How can academics generate great research ideas? Inspiration from ideation practice

• Published in: International journal of research in marketing 2024-03, Vol.41 (1), p.1-17
• Main Author: Stremersch, Stefan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ideation; Innovation; Marketing; Scientometrics
• ISSN: 0167-8116; 1873-8001
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijresmar.2023.10.002

•Marketing and business school academicians can learn new ideation processes and tools from companies, as they seem to be more advanced in leveraging ideation methods than the average academician.•In terms of source of ideas, scholars should isolate less and immerse more with the ‘customers’ of their research.•In terms of scope of their ideas, scholars should generate more ideas with a more open mind.•In terms of idea sharing, scholars should share ideas earlier in protected circles.•In terms of stopping pursuing an idea, scholars should kill bad ideas faster and leaner. How can academic scholars come up with great ideas, such that their research becomes even more important, relevant, and interesting? Based on ideation practices of sophisticated companies, this paper triggers academic researchers to self-reflect on: (1) the source used for ideation, (2) the scope applied to ideation, (3) the sharing of ideas during ideation, and (4) the selection of ideas. The paper also offers concrete improvements that researchers can implement in their ideation practices on ideation processes, tools, and methods along three ideation phases: domain exploration, domain immersion, and research project design. It reviews recent advances in AI and how researchers can leverage AI in their research ideation. The paper aims to stimulate more research on (academic) research ideation (i.e., “more research on research”) and advances a research agenda.