Creativity in research

There are certain researchers who have a creative “spark”. Whether these sparks are put to use depends on each organisation, its ways of working, its scale of values, and its criteria for assessment. According to Vincent Schächter and François Taddéi, French institutions tend to stifle creativity. The authors claim that being creative and investigating unexplored areas present a risk for researchers. The situation is quite different in British or American research organisations where atypical and creative personalities are seen to be attractive, and receive support and encouragement from colleagues. These different approaches towards creativity lead us to debate the role given to creativity in national cultures and education on a wider scale.