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A Disservice to the Ideas of Theory, Research, and Expertise

University of Minnesota

A student casually states that he is going to the library to do some research when he is simply going there to read and retrieve a few documents. Finding and reading written materials by themselves are not research.

A businessperson claims to be doing action research when in fact she is simply solving a difficult workplace problem. Solving a problem by itself is not research.

A professor directs a brainstorming session and then helps the group to classify its ideas as well as choose the best option. Generating new ideas or hypotheses is not by itself research.

The successful executive or sports coach writes a book on leadership to expound on his personal theory of leadership. Personal theories by themselves do not qualify as sound theory.

A mortgage banker who can efficiently and accurately complete mortgage transactions is deemed by his colleagues as an expert. Because a person can do a job well does not constitute expertise.

Human Resource Development Review, Vol. 2, No. 2, 206-210 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/1534484303002002006


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