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I think it's interesting that this proposal for academia to move away from shorter, more frequent publications is completely in contrast to how the software ind

I think it's interesting that this proposal for academia to move away from shorter, more frequent publications is completely in contrast to how the software industry has moved towards agile methodologies as a way of working. I honestly don't see what the problem is. Is it really such a bad thing if someone publishes their work in smaller chunks? I'm sure everyone is aware of the benefits of short feedback loops with agile methodologies, why shouldn't researchers employ the same strategies? So long as the research is truly novel, does it really matter if it is published incrementally?

iamcurious 12y ago
Short feedback loops are a good fit only when the problem can be divided in short tasks and those tasks are relatively easy to evaluate once completed. Research, by its very definition, is difficult to estimate and evaluate.
ScottBurson 12y ago
> So long as the research is truly novel, does it really matter if it is published incrementally? Presumably not. The question is whether the opportunity to do truly novel work is being lost in all the hubbub of writing and submitting papers and serving on program committees. Truly novel work requires deep thought, and deep thought takes time. I can do no better here than to quote the mathematician G. Spencer-Brown, from Laws of Form: "To arrive at the simplest truth, as Newton knew and practiced, requires years of contemplation. Not activity. Not reasoning. Not calculating. Not busy behavior of any kind. Not reading. Not talking. Not making an effort. Not thinking. Simply bearing in mind what it is one needs to know. And yet those with the courage to tread this path to real discovery are not only offered practically no guidance on how to do so, they are actively discouraged and have to set about it in secret, pretending meanwhile to be diligently engaged in the frantic diversions and to conform with the deadening personal opinions which are continually being thrust upon them." [Emphasis in original] Even allowing that Spencer-Brown may have overstated the case somewhat -- there are times for reading and talking, for reasoning and calculating -- and even if we recognize that this quote evinces a certain bitterness in which we may not wish to share, I think it still makes a good point. Even in software development, if we're doing anything difficult, there are times when we have to set aside the usual progress tracking and focus on solving a hard problem, an activity that cannot be scheduled and managed.

iamcurious 12y ago

Short feedback loops are a good fit only when the problem can be divided in short tasks and those tasks are relatively easy to evaluate once completed. Research, by its very definition, is difficult to estimate and evaluate.

ScottBurson 12y ago

> So long as the research is truly novel, does it really matter if it is published incrementally? Presumably not. The question is whether the opportunity to do truly novel work is being lost in all the hubbub of writing and submitting papers and serving on program committees. Truly novel work requires deep thought, and deep thought takes time. I can do no better here than to quote the mathematician G. Spencer-Brown, from Laws of Form: "To arrive at the simplest truth, as Newton knew and practiced, requires years of contemplation. Not activity. Not reasoning. Not calculating. Not busy behavior of any kind. Not reading. Not talking. Not making an effort. Not thinking. Simply bearing in mind what it is one needs to know. And yet those with the courage to tread this path to real discovery are not only offered practically no guidance on how to do so, they are actively discouraged and have to set about it in secret, pretending meanwhile to be diligently engaged in the frantic diversions and to conform with the deadening personal opinions which are continually being thrust upon them." [Emphasis in original] Even allowing that Spencer-Brown may have overstated the case somewhat -- there are times for reading and talking, for reasoning and calculating -- and even if we recognize that this quote evinces a certain bitterness in which we may not wish to share, I think it still makes a good point. Even in software development, if we're doing anything difficult, there are times when we have to set aside the usual progress tracking and focus on solving a hard problem, an activity that cannot be scheduled and managed.