To establish the fundamentals of the problem you are taking on, we suggest you begin with a review of the relevant literature on the topic at hand. This literature review will help you establish a baseline understanding of the challenge, and of the various solutions/approaches in use to address it.
How is it discussed in mainstream media or amongst your colleagues?
How is it discussed in your company’s corporate strategy?
How is it discussed in specialist literature?
How is it discussed on social media?
In each case, we can see how the challenge we are addressing is treated by different cohorts. Depending upon your available time and resources, and the evidence base that you will require from colleagues and supervisors to take your idea forward, research may be an informal, personal enquiry—or it may be a robust investigation that culminates in proper presentation that references the relevant literature.
Example
Let’s imagine that you are thinking about innovative ways for the WHO to improve road safety in a particular country where this issue presents pressing public health challenges.
Your initial baseline research could look at media coverage of topics like road conditions, traffic, accidents, incidences of harm, and safety culture. This initial view would give you baseline insight into prevailing media sentiment regarding the matter at hand, and it would highlight key issues within mainstream dialogue.
You might then look for publications by government ministries, professional transport sector organizations, and civil society advocacy groups. This would offer a deeper view into key issues, and illuminate how key stakeholders see this challenge and what steps are being discussed/taken to resolve aspects thereof.
Finally, a review of social media (by keyword search, hashtags, etcetera) would provide a broader view into the debate over road safety and related concerns and/or initiatives across society, enabling you to triangulate different perspectives on the issue.
The culmination of your baseline assessment will be a foundational understanding of the problem that you want to resolve.
One way to organize and present this is to first review your notes to identify a few (typically between 2 and 4) big-picture, strategic themes around the matter at hand. In the road safety example, these might include: public outcry over poor road conditions and the resulting disruptions and dangers to daily life; inefficiencies and/or lack of resources within the government ministries tasked to maintain and secure major roads; and inadequate safety culture among motorists.
Having established these strategic themes within your research findings, you can then look at your baseline research to identify potential innovation pathways. Within the themes you have identified, where is there an opportunity to act? Returning again to the road safety example, these might include: using social media and digital messaging to convey road safety guidance to the general public; establishing transparency and accountability within public sector transportation safety bodies; reforming public sector procurement and evaluation programmes for the transportation sector; and launching a road-side billboard campaign to emphasis specific safety practices for motorists. As a general guideline, we suggest you establish 4 to 6 innovation pathways during this step of the research process.
Resources
Guidelines for social media research: https://guides.lib.umich.edu/socialmedia
Guidelines for opens source research: https://www.bellingcat.com/category/resources/, and https://www.bellingcat.com/workshops/
Guidelines for a literature review: https://library.famu.edu/c.php?g=577356&p=3982811
