Short answer
Actively challenge established knowledge hierarchies and leverage open communication channels to access and integrate diverse perspectives, leading to more innovative and less constrained design solutions.
- Field
- Innovation & Design
- Source
- Postdigital Science and Education (2019)
- Method
- Conceptual analysis and historical critique
- Evidence
- Strong effect
The paper argues that 'academic rentiership' – the control over what constitutes accepted knowledge – can limit innovation by restricting the flow of information and diverse perspectives, while new communication media like the internet can disrupt this control, fostering a more open and innovative environment. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2019 study published in Postdigital Science and Education. Using Conceptual analysis and historical critique, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Actively challenge established knowledge hierarchies and leverage open communication channels to access and integrate diverse perspectives, leading to more innovative and less constrained design solutions.
Open access to knowledge increases innovation potential by diversifying accepted design solutions
The paper argues that 'academic rentiership' – the control over what constitutes accepted knowledge – can limit innovation by restricting the flow of information and diverse perspectives, while new communication media like the internet can disrupt this control, fostering a more open and innovative environment.
Postdigital Science and Education · 2019
Key Findings
- 01Academic rentiership is the control over what is accepted as a plausible knowledge claim ('modal power'), channeling information flow.
- 02Traditional academic practices like 'quality control' can serve to maintain rentiership, while 'plagiarism' can be seen as undermining it.
- 03The decline of rentiership is linked to corruption in quality control and the introduction of new communication media that academia cannot control.
- 04The internet revolution is likely to permanently alter the terms of academic rentiership, opening up the sphere of plausible knowledge claims.
Application
Design takeaway
Actively challenge established knowledge hierarchies and leverage open communication channels to access and integrate diverse perspectives, leading to more innovative and less constrained design solutions.
How to apply
When researching for a design project, don't solely rely on peer-reviewed academic journals. Explore blogs, open-source communities, user forums, and citizen science projects. Consider how 'expert' opinions might inadvertently limit your design thinking and actively seek out 'outsider' perspectives.
Project actions
- 01For your project, when researching, don't just use academic papers. Look at forums, design blogs, and open-source projects to get a wider range of ideas and challenge conventional thinking.
- 02Consider how your design project could benefit from 'open-source' principles, allowing others to contribute or modify your ideas, fostering collective innovation.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a strong theoretical framework for understanding knowledge control.
- +Highlights the transformative potential of new communication technologies for innovation.
Limitations
The paper is very theoretical, so it doesn't give direct examples of how this affects specific products or designs. It's more about the big picture of how knowledge works.
Reliability & validity
The paper is a conceptual critique, so traditional empirical reliability/validity measures don't directly apply. Its validity lies in the coherence and persuasiveness of its theoretical arguments and its ability to reframe existing concepts. Reliability would be in consistent interpretation of its core arguments.
Think critically
How might the 'quality control' mechanisms in design (e.g., industry standards, design awards) inadvertently create a form of 'design rentiership' that stifles truly radical innovation?
Design Principles
"Open Knowledge Principle: Promote the free flow and diverse interpretation of information to foster innovation and challenge established design paradigms."
Understanding how knowledge is controlled and disseminated is crucial for designers. It impacts access to research, collaboration opportunities, and the acceptance of novel design solutions, directly influencing the innovation process and the development of new products and systems.
What This Means for Your Design
When only a few people decide what counts as 'good' or 'true' knowledge (like in universities), it can stop new and different ideas from coming out. But when the internet makes it easy for everyone to share ideas, it helps more new and creative designs happen.
How to use in your project
- 1.In Criterion A (Identifying a problem), you could discuss how existing solutions are limited by a narrow knowledge base, linking to the concept of 'academic rentiership' restricting innovation.
- 2.In Criterion B (Developing a design brief), you could justify seeking diverse user feedback and unconventional research sources to overcome 'modal power' in design thinking.
- 3.In Criterion C (Developing feasible solutions), you could explain how your innovative solution challenges established norms by integrating knowledge from non-traditional sources, demonstrating a critical approach to information.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This paper by Fuller (2019) critically examines 'academic rentiership,' defining it as the control over what constitutes accepted knowledge. This 'modal power' can restrict the flow of information, potentially limiting innovation by channeling accepted ideas and hindering the emergence of novel solutions. However, the rise of new communication media, particularly the internet, is seen as a disruptive force that can challenge this control, opening up the sphere of plausible knowledge claims and fostering a more diverse and innovative environment. For my design project, this highlights the importance of seeking diverse information sources beyond traditional academic gatekeepers to ensure a broad and unconstrained approach to problem-solving and innovation.
Source
Postdigital Science and Education
Against Academic Rentiership: a Radical Critique of the Knowledge Economy
journal · 2019
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about open access to knowledge increases innovation potential by diversifying accepted design solutions?
- Actively challenge established knowledge hierarchies and leverage open communication channels to access and integrate diverse perspectives, leading to more innovative and less constrained design solutions. Evidence: Postdigital Science and Education (2019).
- Why does "Open access to knowledge increases innovation potential by diversifying accepted design solutions" matter for design?
- Understanding how knowledge is controlled and disseminated is crucial for designers. It impacts access to research, collaboration opportunities, and the acceptance of novel design solutions, directly influencing the innovation process and the development of new products and systems.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Actively challenge established knowledge hierarchies and leverage open communication channels to access and integrate diverse perspectives, leading to more innovative and less constrained design solutions.
- What were the main findings?
- Academic rentiership is the control over what is accepted as a plausible knowledge claim ('modal power'), channeling information flow.. Traditional academic practices like 'quality control' can serve to maintain rentiership, while 'plagiarism' can be seen as undermining it.. The decline of rentiership is linked to corruption in quality control and the introduction of new communication media that academia cannot control.. The internet revolution is likely to permanently alter the terms of academic rentiership, opening up the sphere of plausible knowledge claims.
- What research method was used?
- Conceptual analysis and historical critique.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2019 journal from Postdigital Science and Education.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When researching for a design project, don't solely rely on peer-reviewed academic journals. Explore blogs, open-source communities, user forums, and citizen science projects. Consider how 'expert' opinions might inadvertently limit your design thinking and actively seek out 'outsider' perspectives.
- What are the limitations?
- The paper is a theoretical critique; it does not offer empirical data on the direct impact of rentiership on specific design outcomes or innovation metrics. Its focus is on academia, not directly on design practice, though the implications are clear.