SCIENTIFIC CREATIVITY - A SHORT OVERVIEW

This article gives a condensed overview of important findings, methods , and theories related to scientific creativity. The topics discussed are grouped into the fourfold classification of the creative product, the creative person, the creative process, and the creative situation. Methods for evaluating the impact and creativeness of the creative pr oduct are citation analysis and rating inventories. The section on the creative person presents findings on the personality of creative scie ntists and research productivity across the life span. The section on the creative process reviews a stage theory of the creative act. Remar ks on the creative situation include a summary of factors conducive to creative achievement and a discussion of the problem of multiple disc overies. In one of two additional sections, a comprehensive theory of scientific creativity-Simonton's chance configuration theory-is review ed. The second additional section presents recommendations for further research on scientific creativity.