Rethinking research: the role of tradition in the study of marine invertebrates
Abstract
Scientific tradition is a key-element behind innovation and novelty in science. Relying on tradition provides a sense of security for the individual researcher but may also hamper scientific progress. By rethinking and reformulating previously stated research-topics and questions, science can profit from already existing data and knowledge. For this, however, a conceptual framework for critical thinking must exist for exchange of scientific ideas and findings. Tradition and critical thinking supply the framework for understanding data collected today in relation to previously accumulated information and scientific knowledge. This paper reflects upon these processes from the perspective of marine biological studies on soft-sediment invertebrates in Finland during the past 100 years exemplified by the works of Sven G. Segerstråle, with his education rooted in the old and traditional, and yet daring to think and work in innovative pathways.
