Philosophy is the love of wisdom. When put so, it is easy to see why it might be a desirable thing. Science comes from the Latin Scientia meaning knowledge. Perhaps it is understandable that wisdom and science are intertwined. 


Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence (The Science Council - UK).


The discussions within these pages is designed for Post Graduate Research students to help them find their own way through the knowledge maze. It will focus on helping readers to locate their own project within the broader social science domain. I also hope it will inspire you to pursue your own research interests.

Knowledge Generation

​© Tony Hines 2017

Knowledge generation through research becomes codified for dissemination to other scientists and students throughout the world. Knowledge is translated for public consumption by writers including journalists or through other distributed media.


The processes of generation, dissemination and translation are often distinct but always related. What begins as an idea for research may begin with a real-world interest. This is translated into research projects with questions and objectives to be achieved. Scientific methods are employed to achieve research objectives and once complete new knowledge is generated which may have applications beyond the original project idea. As people become aware of the new knowledge through dissemination at scientific conferences and later through codified teaching programmes knowledge is distributed to wider communities that may themseleves have new applications for the knowledge.


I am reminded of a book I was presented with by the Society of Dyers and Colourists as a token of appreciation for my marketing talk on colours, fashions and markets. The book entitled 'Mauve' by Simon Garfield recounts the story of the part played by chemistry and in particular William Perkin who by the age of eighteen became the richest chemist in the world. Prior to 1856 all colour dyes were natural, derived from animals,minerals and plants. Dyeing cloth or making colour print was expensive and painstaking. Perkin discovered Mauve by chance working on a cure for Malaria. His experiments at the Royal Society of Chemistry attempting to synthesise quinine because natural quinine was in short supply being only available from Peru and Bolivia extracted from Cinchona Bark. The East India Company spent around £100,000 per annum to secure quinine for its employees in Malarial countries. Kew Gardens were encouraged by the British Government to grow Cinchona trees. The failure of Perkin to find a synthetic cure led to a different discovery which would have a lasting impact. Like so much science chance played an unexpected part in the scientific process of discovery. In the process of searching for the cure Perkin created a dark sludge that when applied to silk turned it purple. This unique colour soon became in demand by the leading fashion houses in London and Paris. As Garfield notes before Mauve, Chemistry was largely a theoretical science. Perkin's chance discovery laid the foundation not only for the establishment of a synthetic colouring industry but for DNA, cemotherapy for cancer cures, antibiotics, HIV as well as advances in photography, perfume and explosives. You should read Mauve by Simon Garfield, published by Faber and Faber, if you want to know more.


​So you can see how knowledge is generated, diseminated and translated within the story of Mauve. Often the idea to do one piece of research aiming to achieve a discovery of one kind can end up as something else. The story of Google recounted in my 'Supply Chain Strategies' book demonstrates how a library project at Stanford became the world's largest search engine on the Internet. The lesson in all of this for research and researchers is that being active is key to discovery and original knowledge generation.

Philosophy and Science