idea research

1000+ FREE Research Topics & Title Ideas

If you’re at the start of your research journey and are trying to figure out which research topic you want to focus on, you’ve come to the right place. Select your area of interest below to view a comprehensive collection of potential research ideas.

Research Topic FAQs

What (exactly) is a research topic.

A research topic is the subject of a research project or study – for example, a dissertation or thesis. A research topic typically takes the form of a problem to be solved, or a question to be answered.

A good research topic should be specific enough to allow for focused research and analysis. For example, if you are interested in studying the effects of climate change on agriculture, your research topic could focus on how rising temperatures have impacted crop yields in certain regions over time.

To learn more about the basics of developing a research topic, consider our free research topic ideation webinar.

What constitutes a good research topic?

A strong research topic comprises three important qualities : originality, value and feasibility.

• Originality – a good topic explores an original area or takes a novel angle on an existing area of study.
• Value – a strong research topic provides value and makes a contribution, either academically or practically.
• Feasibility – a good research topic needs to be practical and manageable, given the resource constraints you face.

To learn more about what makes for a high-quality research topic, check out this post .

What's the difference between a research topic and research problem?

A research topic and a research problem are two distinct concepts that are often confused. A research topic is a broader label that indicates the focus of the study , while a research problem is an issue or gap in knowledge within the broader field that needs to be addressed.

To illustrate this distinction, consider a student who has chosen “teenage pregnancy in the United Kingdom” as their research topic. This research topic could encompass any number of issues related to teenage pregnancy such as causes, prevention strategies, health outcomes for mothers and babies, etc.

Within this broad category (the research topic) lies potential areas of inquiry that can be explored further – these become the research problems . For example:

• What factors contribute to higher rates of teenage pregnancy in certain communities?
• How do different types of parenting styles affect teen pregnancy rates?
• What interventions have been successful in reducing teenage pregnancies?

Simply put, a key difference between a research topic and a research problem is scope ; the research topic provides an umbrella under which multiple questions can be asked, while the research problem focuses on one specific question or set of questions within that larger context.

How can I find potential research topics for my project?

There are many steps involved in the process of finding and choosing a high-quality research topic for a dissertation or thesis. We cover these steps in detail in this video (also accessible below).

How can I find quality sources for my research topic?

Finding quality sources is an essential step in the topic ideation process. To do this, you should start by researching scholarly journals, books, and other academic publications related to your topic. These sources can provide reliable information on a wide range of topics. Additionally, they may contain data or statistics that can help support your argument or conclusions.

Identifying Relevant Sources

When searching for relevant sources, it’s important to look beyond just published material; try using online databases such as Google Scholar or JSTOR to find articles from reputable journals that have been peer-reviewed by experts in the field.

You can also use search engines like Google or Bing to locate websites with useful information about your topic. However, be sure to evaluate any website before citing it as a source—look for evidence of authorship (such as an “About Us” page) and make sure the content is up-to-date and accurate before relying on it.

Evaluating Sources

Once you’ve identified potential sources for your research project, take some time to evaluate them thoroughly before deciding which ones will best serve your purpose. Consider factors such as author credibility (are they an expert in their field?), publication date (is the source current?), objectivity (does the author present both sides of an issue?) and relevance (how closely does this source relate to my specific topic?).

By researching the current literature on your topic, you can identify potential sources that will help to provide quality information. Once you’ve identified these sources, it’s time to look for a gap in the research and determine what new knowledge could be gained from further study.

How can I find a good research gap?

Finding a strong gap in the literature is an essential step when looking for potential research topics. We explain what research gaps are and how to find them in this post.

How should I evaluate potential research topics/ideas?

When evaluating potential research topics, it is important to consider the factors that make for a strong topic (we discussed these earlier). Specifically:

• Originality
• Feasibility

So, when you have a list of potential topics or ideas, assess each of them in terms of these three criteria. A good topic should take a unique angle, provide value (either to academia or practitioners), and be practical enough for you to pull off, given your limited resources.

Finally, you should also assess whether this project could lead to potential career opportunities such as internships or job offers down the line. Make sure that you are researching something that is relevant enough so that it can benefit your professional development in some way. Additionally, consider how each research topic aligns with your career goals and interests; researching something that you are passionate about can help keep motivation high throughout the process.

How can I assess the feasibility of a research topic?

When evaluating the feasibility and practicality of a research topic, it is important to consider several factors.

First, you should assess whether or not the research topic is within your area of competence. Of course, when you start out, you are not expected to be the world’s leading expert, but do should at least have some foundational knowledge.

Time commitment

When considering a research topic, you should think about how much time will be required for completion. Depending on your field of study, some topics may require more time than others due to their complexity or scope.

Additionally, if you plan on collaborating with other researchers or institutions in order to complete your project, additional considerations must be taken into account such as coordinating schedules and ensuring that all parties involved have adequate resources available.

Resources needed

It’s also critically important to consider what type of resources are necessary in order to conduct the research successfully. This includes physical materials such as lab equipment and chemicals but can also include intangible items like access to certain databases or software programs which may be necessary depending on the nature of your work. Additionally, if there are costs associated with obtaining these materials then this must also be factored into your evaluation process.

Potential risks

It’s important to consider the inherent potential risks for each potential research topic. These can include ethical risks (challenges getting ethical approval), data risks (not being able to access the data you’ll need), technical risks relating to the equipment you’ll use and funding risks (not securing the necessary financial back to undertake the research).

If you’re looking for more information about how to find, evaluate and select research topics for your dissertation or thesis, check out our free webinar here . Alternatively, if you’d like 1:1 help with the topic ideation process, consider our private coaching services .

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

• E-NEWSLETTER

Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) consists of three programs focused on early-stage, high-risk, high pay-off, investigator led research in highways, transit, and railroad safety and performance.

Our Mission

Offer research funding for promising but unproven innovations in highways, transit, and railroad safety and performance, at a critical, early stage when funding can be difficult to secure.

Capture unexpected concepts that challenge conventional thinking to progress next-generation transportation technologies and methods.

Be Open: Anyone can submit a proposal.

Be Investigator-driven: Projects are initiated by researchers and researchers maintain ownership of innovations.

Be Collaborative: Oversight Panels support project success through detailed guidance.

Seed the innovation ecosystem: Each project closes with clear steps for further development, evaluation, commercialization, marketing, and deployment for the purpose of implementation.

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) as part of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP).

Foster innovative concepts for design, construction, safety, maintenance, operations, and management of highway systems.

Reviews proposals for funding twice a year. The annual deadlines for submitting proposals to these review cycles are March 1 and September 1.

Rail Safety IDEA

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Foster innovative approaches to improving railroad safety or performance.

Reviews proposals for funding once a year. The annual deadline for submitting proposals is December 15.

Transit IDEA

Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as part of the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP).

Foster innovative approaches with potential to enhance security, increase ridership, and improve efficiency for transit systems.

Reviews proposals for funding once a year. The annual deadline for submitting proposals is May 1.

Archived IDEA Programs

These IDEA programs are currently inactive.

Highspeed Rail IDEA

Reliability IDEA

Project types

Every idea program supports two types of projects:, proof-of-concept projects, which investigate the feasibility of a concept and its potential for application to transportation., prototype projects, which develop concepts that show particular promise., idea frequently asked questions.

Ten frequently asked questions are highlighted here for your convenience. Read the IDEA Program Announcement for the full FAQs listing.

IDEA Resources

Archived IDEA Publications and Webinars

2009 | High-Speed Rail Annual Progress Report

1999 | Intelligent Transportation Systems

Ignition Magazine, 2002-2013

TRB's IDEA Programs: Webinars, 2014, for Committee Research Coordinators was held on Wednesday, June 11, 2014 and Presenter PowerPoint

TRB’s IDEA Programs: Funding Your Transportation Innovation was held on Tuesday, December 9, 2008 and Presenter PowerPoint with responses to participant questions.

Incorporating New and Emerging Technology from the IDEA Program into Your Everyday Practices, 2013, Presenter PowerPoint (Sandra Larson, Iowa DOT)

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Search IDEAS All Articles Papers Chapters Books Software  In: Whole record Abstract Keywords Title Author Sort by: new options Relevance Oldest Most recent Most cited Title alphabet Recently added Recent & relevant Relevant & cited Recent & cited From: Any Year 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1985 1980 1975 1970 1960 1950 1940 1930 1900 1800 1700 To: Any Year 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1985 1980 1975 1970 1960 1950 1940 1930 1900 1800 1700 More advanced search New: sort by citation count and by recently added --> What is IDEAS? IDEAS is the largest bibliographic database dedicated to Economics and available freely on the Internet. Based on RePEc , it indexes over 4,700,000 items of research, including over 4,200,000 that can be downloaded in full text. RePEc is a large volunteer effort to enhance the free dissemination of research in Economics which includes bibliographic metadata from over 2,000 participating archives , including all the major publishers and research outlets. IDEAS is just one of several services that use RePEc data. For some statistics about the holdings on this site, see here . Authors are invited to register with RePEc to create an online profile. Then, anyone finding some of their research here can find your latest contact details and a listing of their other research. They will also receive a monthly mailing about the popularity of their works, their ranking and newly found citations. How do I find on IDEAS what I am looking for?

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IDEA Lab 2022-2023

Principal Investigator: Elif Isbell, PhD

Dr. Elif Isbell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of California Merced and the director of the IDEA research group. She completed her Ph.D. in Psychology (cognitive neuroscience) at the University of Oregon. She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oregon and at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She was a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) T32 Postdoctoral Fellow in Developmental Psychology at the University of Michigan. 

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Graduate Students

Amanda Peters, M.A., is a 3rd-year doctoral student in Developmental Psychology. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2021 with a B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. Broadly, she is interested in examining the links between socioeconomic status, household characteristics, and cognitive control development in early childhood. 

Dylan Richardson is a 3rd-year doctoral student in the Developmental Psychology program. He is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellow. He earned a B.A. in Psychological Sciences from UC Merced in 2021. His research interests broadly revolve around how socioeconomic status relates to the development of cognitive control in children. He is especially interested in inhibition and the auditory system, which led him to study auditory selective attention. Along with auditory selective attention, he is interested in how SES might relate to other processes central to the auditory system. 

Nancy Rodas De Leon is a 3rd-year doctoral student in the Developmental Psychology program. She earned a B.S. in Cognitive Science from UC Merced in 2021. Her research focuses on how diverse bilingual language experiences and environmental factors contribute to the neurodevelopment of cognitive control in children and adolescents. She is currently a UC Merced Faculty Mentor Program fellow (AY 2023-2024) . 

Undergraduate Students

Desiree Solis is a third -year undergraduate student majoring in Cognitive Science and Psychology. She is a UC Leads scholar. She is broadly interested in cognitive science, neuroscience, and developmental psychology. 

Melisa Lovos Palacios is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and Spanish with a minor in Sociology, and is a UC Merced Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) scholar. She is broadly interested in cognitive and developmental psychology.

Yu Fang Tang is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology . She is a UC Merced Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) scholar. S he is interested in studying typical and neurodivergent development of cognitive control . She is also interested in cognitive science and clinical psychology.

Lois Lopez is a fourth -year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology. She is broadly interested in cognitive science and developmental psychology.

WashU Libraries

Conducting research.

• The Process

How to choose a topic

Testing your topic, formulate your research strategy, types of sources.

• Step 2: Finding background info.
• Step 3: Gathering more info.
• Get it This link opens in a new window
• Step 5: Evaluating your sources
• Step 6: Citing your sources
• FAQs This link opens in a new window
• Library Vocabulary
• Research in the Humanities
• Research in the Social Sciences
• Research in the Sciences

Information Overload: Narrowing your Research

Overwhelmed with too many or irrelevant results? Consider the following questions for refining your topic:

• Is there a specific time period you want to cover?
• Is there a geographic region or country on which you would like to focus?
• Is there a particular aspect of this subject that interests you? For example, historical influence, sociological aspects, ethical issues, cultural significance.
• Is there a specific group or individual you could research?

You can also combine multiple questions to further narrow your subject.

Information Desert: Broadening your Research

When exploring your research focus, consider the following questions for broadening your topic:

• What elements could you add to your paper? For example, expanding the time period or changing the geographic location. 
• What other issues are involved in this research?
• What is the bigger concept of your subject?

The very first step in the research process is choosing a topic that is not too broad or too narrow in scope.

To help you define a good topic you are advised to do one or all of the following:

• use reference sources (such as encyclopedias );
• consult other sources as suggested on the page find and read background information ;
• state your topic as a question (e.g., Can sleep disorders effect academic success in college students?);
• identify the main concepts or keywords in your question (e.g., college students, grade point average, sleep disorders);
• consult with your instructor or TA;
• or consult with a subject librarian who specializes in the field of study you are researching.

If you think you have a good topic or are getting close, try applying your topic ideas to the questions listed below.

Test the main concepts or keywords in your topic by looking them up in the appropriate background sources or by using them as search terms in the WUSTL Discovery Catalog and in library databases .

• If you are finding too much information and too many sources, narrow your topic by using the and operator: college students and grade point average and sleep disorders.
• Finding too little information may indicate that you need to broaden your topic. For example, look for information on students, rather than college students.
• Link synonymous search terms with or : academic achievement or grade point average or school failure.
• When you use a truncation symbol, most often the asterisk (*), the system will search for all terms and phrases starting with the word stem that appears before the symbol.  For example, searching "sleep disorder*" will yield results including disorder, disorders, disordered, etc. This will broaden your search and increase the number of items you find.

Once you have identified and tested your topic, you're ready to take the next step, finding background information .

The steps to your research strategy will depend on how much time you have and the type of project on which you are working. In order to conduct effective research, you need to gather appropriate information for your topic. Consider the following questions to help you determine the best research strategy:

How much time do you have?

If you have limited time, it is advisable to focus your information gathering on articles from journals, magazines, newspapers and on books which are in the library or on the web.

If you have more time to plan your research, you will be able to incorporate a variety of materials on your topic and to obtain resources from other libraries .

On what type of project are you working?

The depth of research will depend on the nature of your project. You may need to consider the guidelines specified by your professor on the length of paper or presentation.

What type of information do you need?

Your approach to the topic will determine the type of resources you will use. For example, some research may involve collecting facts, while other research may include gathering various opinions on an issue or argument. You may also want to consider whether your topic will be enhanced by including primary resources. The following types of resources may serve as a guide:

• Internet resources
• Book reviews
• Dissertations
• Statistical information
• Music scores
• Sound recordings
• Internet reference sources
• Government documents
• Manuscripts

Do you need primary sources? Secondary sources? Both?

"You need to consider whether your project requires primary or secondary sources and, if you will use both, whether a particular work is a primary or a secondary source in the context of your work. Primary sources are basic materials with little or no annotation or editorial alteration, such as manuscripts, diaries, letters, interviews, and laboratory reports. Secondary sources derive from primary materials and include analysis, interpretation, and commentary on primary materials."

"Depending on the point of view of your research paper, a given source may be either primary or secondary. A research paper on William James, the nineteenth-century philosopher, would treat R.W.B. Lewis's The Jameses: A Family Narrative as a secondary source, whereas a paper on Lewis, a well-known critic and biographer, would treat the same book as a primary source. Your assignment may require you to emphasize either primary or secondary sources or to use a combination of the two." -- (Slade, Carole. Form and style. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Co., c1997.)

Primary sources  can be tricky.  Whether a source is  primary  depends on how you use it. A primary source is a written text, artifact, or other original creation upon which you focus your analysis and interpretation. For example, an article that analyzes a book, song, or society would be considered a secondary source. However, that article could function as a primary source--if you are analyzing the ideas of the author of that article, then it functions as a primary source. So anything could function as a primary source--just consider how you are using it: if it's the object of your analysis, then it's a primary source.

A  secondary source  is a work that interprets or analyzes an historical event or phenomenon. It is generally at least one step removed from the event is often based on primary sources. Examples include: scholarly or popular books and articles, reference books, and textbooks.

Tertiary sources are encyclopedias, dictionaries, textbooks and other reference materials that provide broad overviews of particular topics. Where secondary sources summarize and interpret an event or phenomenon, tertiary sources summarize and interpret other resources. They can be a great place to begin studying unfamiliar topics.

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• Last Updated: Apr 30, 2024 3:07 PM
• URL: https://libguides.wustl.edu/research

Idea Validation: Steps and Tools for Testing Your Idea

Did you know that most business ideas fail within the first year ?

Although the absence of money and inability to execute the idea are often mentioned as reasons for failure, the root cause is usually lack of proper market research.

What makes studying the potential of new ideas difficult is that it can sometimes be almost impossible to tell a difference between a good and a bad idea.

Sometimes even the most bizarre ideas can turn out great. Think of AirBnb and Uber, classic examples of successful business ideas that people were skeptic about at first. There are also ideas that make perfect sense but still manage to fail .

Although everyone wants their ideas to be loved, only a fraction of those ideas are worth executing by your team. To learn if an idea has a chance to succeed, it needs to be validated.

In this post, we’ll take a look at idea validation from the perspective of validating a new business idea, concept or a product. Here we'll refer to all of these as ideas. We’ll also introduce some tools that you can use to discover whether or not your idea has real potential.

Table of Contents

Why should ideas be validated.

• Factors that contribute to the success of your idea

1. Define your goal

2. develop a hypothesis, 3. experiment and revise, 4. validate and develop, validation board - the lean startup machine.

• Validation Canvas - Lean Service Creation

1. Be ruthlessly critical

• 2. Keep the validation process simple

3. Involve the right target audience

4. be systematic.

• 5. Look around and learn from other's mistakes
• Get the idea validation toolkit

What is idea validation?

Idea validation is the process of gathering evidence around ideas through experimentation to make fast, informed and de-risked decisions.

It's a process that starts from an idea and typically ends with a paying customer. The purpose of idea validation is to expose the idea to the practicality of the real world before you build and release the final product or offering.

New ideas have unpredictable elements and if some of them go wrong, it can destroy your plans at once. Validation reduces the risk, speeds up the delivery of a value-creating service in the market, and minimizes the costs.

An idea should be validated before investing a significant amount of time and resources in developing it to avoid building and launching a product or concept no one wants or isn’t willing to pay for.

The purpose of idea validation is to make sure your idea has real demand, otherwise there’s a real risk of it becoming “just another cool idea”.

The idea must either be able to solve a real problem, fulfill its intended purpose or appeal to other incentives.

Validating the problem first and seeing if your solution can solve that problem is typically the smartest approach. Creating a solution first and only then looking for a problem it could solve, is a bad idea if you want to minimize the risks.

Google Glass is just one example of a seemingly good idea that was executed but no one really wanted or needed. Not only was it marketed badly, it also looked unattractive, and had some safety and health concerns. It’s ridiculously high price tag ($1500) didn’t make the situation any better especially when it failed to offer a clear benefit for the user. It was unclear why people might need it in the first place except for violating other people’s privacy more easily.

In some cases, an idea can be validated to:

• See if the timing is right
• Confirm that you can sell and deliver the solution efficiently enough

If no one is willing to pay for your offering, the timing might be wrong, or, it could be that it’s just not a very good idea to begin with.

Factors that contribute to the success of your idea

Validation is a continuous process for improving your idea and doesn’t stop with the first assumption. Even if you had a real problem and a validated solution for it, there are other aspects that might need to be validated as you develop your idea: 

• Adopter categories and social systems – How appealing is your idea to the relevant adopter categories?
• Compatibility – Is your idea perceived to be consistent with the needs of potential adopters?
• Relative advantage – Is the idea perceived to outperform competition? How is it perceived to be better? Is it actually better?
• Complexity – Is the idea easy to understand or does it require new knowledge and skills?
• Trialability – Can your offering be experimented before making a purchase?
• Observability – Are the benefits of your offering visible for others?

How to validate an idea

As already mentioned, there are obviously different ways to validate an idea. The best way to do so depends on the nature of that particular idea . If there isn't much uncertainty, validation might not be necessary.

However, when it comes to new business ideas, products and concepts with more risk, idea validation is highly recommended.

Validation is ultimately about testing assumptions . It’s important to test the riskiest assumption first and not to waste your time on something that doesn’t have potential. You can use the Play-to-Win strategy framework as a reference when conducting tests and making choices.

Steps to validate your idea

Although there are multiple different ways to validate and idea, the overall validation process is quite simple and straightforward:

In an early stage you want to focus on validating your assumptions to make sure the most critical ones for your business are true. For example, you might want to validate your target market and its potential to see if your idea is valuable and appeals to the market you’ve defined.

If, however, your assumptions regarding your market and idea are valid, you can start testing your product to learn how all of the elements work in reality.

Here’s how to get started with the idea validation process:

Just like any idea management -related activity, validation starts with defining your goals. In this stage, you’ll decide what you want to learn and what aspects  to validate.

You goal can be one of the following, for example:

• Problem – Is your problem true/worth solving?
• Solution – Is your product/offer going to solve the problem?
• Features – How do the core features of your product work?
• Business model – Is your business model viable and scalable?
• Price – Is there enough demand to make your business model work with the price you’ve set? How does your pricing model work in practice?

Although these themes are common and important, they’re just examples. The purpose of your goal is to identify the most critical assumption related to your specific idea, so make sure you start with the most significant one.

For you it can be an assumption that is most likely to happen, but you can also start with an assumption that has the biggest downside or the worst expected value. Map out all your assumptions regarding your idea and prioritize the one that’s the most critical for your idea to succeed.

Let’s say your idea is to sell contact lenses online with a monthly subscription. You know that the market is growing and will be $9,2 billion in 2023 , so there’s no need to do separate market validation. In this case, your most critical assumption is most likely related to the price and your goal is to learn what is the right price point for your monthly contact lens plan.

After you’ve defined your goal for idea validation, it’s time to develop a hypothesis based on that goal. A useful hypothesis is a testable statement, which often includes a prediction.

The key here is to start from the most critical assumption. That is the one that's the most likely to fail, and would also have the direst consequences. What would have to be true for the idea to be feasible?

The key is to start from the most critical assumption. That is the one that's the most likely to fail, and would also have the direst consequences.

In AirBnb’s case, for example, its main critical assumption was that people are willing to stay at a stranger’s house and that home owners are willing to rent out their homes for strangers.  For AirBnb, this was their most critical assumption because the entire idea depends on other people willing to share their homes.

Although house-swapping was already a pre-validated concept and an efficient way to travel with little money, AirBnb’s concept was different. AirBnb's   idea was validated before they even had one .

They were looking for ways to pay their rent when they realized that a huge conference was coming to town and all the hotels were booked up. The founders bought three airbeds to the apartment, offered their guests a bed-and-breakfast service and showed their guests around the city, which allowed them to pay their rent and validate their business idea at the same time.

Usually coming up with the hypothesis isn't difficult. What's more important is to define the  minimum success criteria for the test, which isn't always easy. For example, if 8 people out of 10 would say they'd rather sleep in a hotel than on someone's couch, does that mean AirBnb's idea is invalid?

What comes to your contact lens business, your most critical assumption is whether people are willing to make a purchase online as well as the price they're willing to pay for it.

Once you have developed a hypothesis, you can actually start validating that assumption by running experiments.

The point of experimentation is to find the fastest and cheapest way to test your assumption in practice.  An experiment is a test or a set of tests that measure the effects of a hypothesis and reveal whether or not you should proceed with your idea.

In other words, an experiment is conducted to learn if your assumption is or isn’t true. Often, the initial idea is just a starting point for a better and more refined idea because you almost always need to improve it.

When you’re going through the validation process, you have a chance to learn how to make your idea or product even better.

There are tons of different ways to conduct an experiment:

• Landing page
• Physical prototype
• Fake it 'til you make it / Wizard of Oz
• Interview/survey
• Crowdfunding platform (such as Kickstarter )
• A/B test (make different versions of your advertising campaigns to see which one performs better)

If you want to validate a problem , conducting interviews and surveys are often enough. If, however, you're looking to validate a product or a service , you might want to use Wizard of Oz prototyping or similar.

When validating a price , you might want to create a landing page and conduct A/B tests. You might also want to try selling a fictitious product and use accepted offers as a measure.

When you're doing research, ask for feedback; ideas, responses, comments and look for common answers to the following themes:

• People who say they’ll buy your product = Target market
• What people are actually paying for it = Price
• People who will buy/keep buying it = Demand

In this stage, you should confirm your assumption to be either valid or invalid. If your idea has potential, and the most critical assumption is correct, you can start refining your idea.

Although validation isn’t always a guarantee of success, as it’s the execution that matters, having validated the most critical assumptions and using the data you’ve gathered in the validation process will definitely help when you start developing and implementing your idea.

Tools for idea validation

Validating an idea can easily become a chaos without the right tools and systematic methods for mapping and testing your assumptions.

Luckily, there are some good idea validation tools that can be used for keeping track of your validation process:

The Validation Board is a tool that can be used to validate and pivot your assumptions and to track those pivots. With the help of the Validation Board, you can define customer, problem and solution hypotheses, and identify the core assumptions related to these aspects.

The Validation Board can be a useful tool for those who are looking for a systematic and active way to set goals and make decisions about whether you should proceed with the idea or pivot.

The tool is very actionable and can be used to track multiple hypotheses at once.

Validation Canvas - Lean Service Creation

Another tool that can be used for validating an idea is Validation Canvas by Lean Service Creation.

This tool can also be used to test assumptions, but it's different form the Validation Board in a sense that instead of looking for supportive arguments to prove that you idea is good, the point of Validation Canvas is to prove that it’s not .

Validation Canvas helps you find answers to the following questions:

• How to validate your value proposition?
• How to validate your customer grouping?
• How to validate your customers’ willingness to pay?
• What are the results?
• What can you conclude?
• Should you proceed with the idea?

In case you also need other  tools for  validating your idea , the Validation Canvas works well with those. Both the Validation Board and the Validation Canvas are good and simple options for validating and keeping track of your assumptions.

Idea Validation Success Factors

Although each idea is different and most of them often cannot be validated by using the same methods, there are some general tips that can help succeed with the process.

People who build businesses are almost always optimists, and while you definitely need a certain amount of optimism, having too much of it won’t get you very far.

There are far more bad ideas than there are good ones and even for the good ideas, there are far more bad solutions than there are good ones. The only way to get past this issue and to make better decisions is to be highly critical of your own work.

2.  Keep the validation process simple

Keeping the process simple and effective is the key to fast learning. Often your assumptions are different from your actual challenges. So, i nstead of listing every single assumption and spending tons of time making sense of them, treat your process as a simple, general framework.

Pay attention to picking the right selection criteria and metrics and focus on the most essential aspects of your business first. You have plenty of time to focus refining the details once you know your business idea is solid and the big picture works. The point of validation isn't to come up with a perfect solution but to make sure your idea has potential.

The point of validation isn't to come up with a perfect solution but to make sure your idea has potential. 

When validating a new idea and gathering feedback, involving the right audience is the key.

Although your nearest and dearest are the first ones to support your idea, friends and family aren’t usually the most reliable source of feedback.

Your idea validation process depends on the ability to gather accurate information regarding your idea. Therefore, finding the right people who know enough about the business or the topic of your idea is necessary.

For example, if your offering is a B2B product for the Fortune 500, you probably want to reach out to them.

Idea validation should be done in a  systematic manner  to keep track of the assumptions you have regarding your idea, as well as the measurable results you’ve received from testing it. One way to increase your systematism is to use a dedicated innovation management software for gathering, developing, evaluating and validating new ideas.

Viima is a tool we've created specifically to help manage ideas throughout the entire validation process. You can gather all validation data in one place, including feedback, validation boards, evaluation criteria, etc.

5.  Look around and learn from others’ mistakes

It’s very unlikely you’re the first and only one coming up with a new idea and there’s a chance that there are several people who have had the exact same idea before you.

Being aware of what happened to already existing ideas is smart as it can help avoid some of the critical mistakes already made. In most cases, having no competition isn’t a sign of originality and innovativeness.

Often, either the timing or execution of the previous ideas were poor, or the ideas were bad to begin with. It doesn’t matter how well your product is executed if no one finds it useful.

So, look at the players in the market and how they do things. Is there something you can learn from previous mistakes or your current competition to avoid making the same mistakes people have made before you?

Idea validation is done to minimize the risk of implementing ideas no one wants or isn't willing to pay for.

The purpose of idea validation is to make sure your product or business idea has potential and the most critical assumptions regarding your idea are valid.  The point is to find the fastest and cheapest way to test your assumptions so that you can decide whether you're going to proceed with the idea or pivot.

What makes validation difficult is that often your assumptions are different from the real challenges. Because there are tons of different aspects you can validate,  the ability to identify the most significant ones requires a systematic approach.

We've gathered some of our favorite tools that can be used for mapping your assumptions and results. You can download our Idea Validation Toolkit to get started.

And, don’t forget to subscribe for updates on our upcoming content!

Related articles

The Complete Guide to Ideation

Innovation Toolkit – Tips, Tools and Templates for Managing Innovation

Idea Prioritization – How to Succeed?

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Home » Idea – Definition, Types and Examples

Idea – Definition, Types and Examples

Table of Contents

Definition:

Idea is a mental concept or thought that represents something that does not exist in the physical world or is not directly perceived by the senses. It is a product of imagination, creativity, or inspiration that can be used to solve a problem, create something new, or achieve a goal.

Types of Idea

Types of Ideas are as as follows:

Creative Ideas

These are ideas that involve thinking outside of the box and coming up with new and innovative solutions to problems or challenges.

Business Ideas

These are ideas for new products, services, or business models that can potentially generate revenue and profit.

Scientific Ideas

These are ideas that involve developing new theories or concepts to explain phenomena in the natural world, or devising new experimental methods to test hypotheses.

Philosophical Ideas

These are ideas that relate to fundamental questions about the nature of reality, knowledge, ethics, and meaning.

Social Ideas

These are ideas that aim to address social issues such as inequality, discrimination, poverty, and environmental sustainability.

Political Ideas

These are ideas that relate to government policies, systems of governance, and political ideologies.

Artistic Ideas

These are ideas that relate to creative expression in various forms such as music, literature, visual arts, and performing arts.

Technological Ideas

These are ideas that involve the development of new technologies or the improvement of existing ones.

Personal Ideas

These are ideas that relate to personal growth, self-improvement, and self-discovery.

Examples of Idea

• A social network exclusively for pet owners where they can share pictures, stories, and connect with other pet owners.
• A subscription service that sends monthly surprise boxes of locally sourced, organic produce to customers’ homes.
• A mobile app that provides personalized workout routines based on the user’s fitness level, goals, and available equipment.
• A virtual interior design service that allows customers to upload photos of their space and receive customized design recommendations.
• A charity that collects and distributes unused toiletries from hotels to homeless shelters and other organizations that serve those in need.
• A platform that connects freelance graphic designers with businesses looking for logo designs, social media graphics, and other design work.
• A meal kit delivery service that focuses on providing healthy and organic meals for families with young children.
• A travel company that curates eco-friendly and sustainable travel experiences for adventurous travelers.
• A language learning app that uses virtual reality technology to immerse users in real-life scenarios and conversations.
• A subscription service that sends monthly boxes of art supplies and project ideas to inspire creativity in kids and adults alike.

Applications of Idea

Applications of Idea are a follows:

• Business : In the business world, an “idea” can refer to a new product or service that a company wants to develop, or to a new approach to solving a problem or improving efficiency. Generating and implementing innovative ideas is crucial for staying competitive and growing a successful business.
• Creativity : In the realm of art, literature, and other creative pursuits, an “idea” can refer to a concept or inspiration that forms the basis of a work. Artists and writers often seek out new and unique ideas to help them create original and compelling pieces.
• Innovation : In the context of technological or scientific advancements, an “idea” can refer to a new concept or theory that has the potential to revolutionize an industry or field. Ideas in this sense often require extensive research, development, and testing before they can be successfully implemented.
• Problem-solving: In the context of problem-solving, an “idea” can refer to a proposed solution or strategy for addressing a particular issue or challenge. Brainstorming and generating ideas is an important part of the problem-solving process, as it can help individuals and teams come up with creative and effective solutions.

Purpose of Idea

The purpose of an idea can vary depending on the context in which it is used. In general, an idea is a thought or concept that can be used to solve a problem, create something new, improve an existing product or process, or inspire creativity and innovation. Ideas can also be used to communicate, persuade, or inform others, or to express artistic or philosophical concepts. The ultimate purpose of an idea is often to bring about positive change or achieve a particular goal, whether that goal is personal, social, or professional in nature.

Characteristics of Idea

Here are some key characteristics of ideas:

• Originality : A good idea is often novel and unique. It should bring a new perspective or solution to an existing problem.
• Relevance : A good idea should be relevant to the context or situation in which it is being used. It should be applicable and useful in solving the problem or achieving the goal at hand.
• Feasibility : A good idea should be feasible and achievable within the given resources and constraints. It should be realistic and not overly ambitious or impractical.
• Clarity : A good idea should be clear and easy to understand. It should be able to be explained in a concise and understandable way.
• Impact : A good idea should have the potential to create a significant positive impact. It should be able to bring about positive change or solve a problem in a meaningful way.
• Adaptability : A good idea should be adaptable and flexible. It should be able to evolve and change over time as circumstances change.
• Scalability : A good idea should be scalable, meaning it can be expanded or replicated to have a broader impact or reach a larger audience.

Advantages of Idea

There are several advantages of having good ideas:

• Creativity and Innovation : Ideas fuel creativity and innovation, allowing individuals and organizations to come up with new and unique solutions to problems and challenges.
• Competitive Advantage: Good ideas can give individuals and organizations a competitive advantage by providing a unique selling point or value proposition that sets them apart from others.
• Cost Savings: Ideas can help reduce costs by identifying more efficient and effective ways of doing things or by finding ways to eliminate unnecessary expenses.
• Improved Productivity : Ideas can lead to improved productivity by streamlining processes and procedures, eliminating bottlenecks, and improving overall efficiency.
• Enhanced Problem-solving: Good ideas can help individuals and organizations to better solve problems and overcome challenges by providing new and creative solutions.
• Better Decision Making : Ideas can improve decision making by providing new and innovative options, enabling individuals and organizations to make more informed and effective choices.
• Personal and Professional Growth: Having good ideas can lead to personal and professional growth by fostering creativity, innovation, and critical thinking skills.

Disadvantages of Idea

Disadvantages of Idea are as follows:

• Idea overload: Sometimes, when brainstorming or generating new ideas, it can be easy to become overwhelmed with the number of potential options. This can lead to decision paralysis or a lack of focus on any one idea.
• Lack of practicality: Not all ideas are feasible or practical. While it’s important to think outside the box and consider innovative solutions, it’s also important to evaluate whether an idea is realistic and can be implemented within the given constraints.
• Resistance to change : New ideas can sometimes be met with resistance or skepticism from others, particularly if the idea challenges existing norms or requires significant changes to established processes.
• Implementation challenges : Even the most promising idea may face implementation challenges. This can include difficulty securing resources, lack of support from key stakeholders, or unforeseen roadblocks that arise during implementation.
• Fear of failure: The process of generating new ideas can be exciting and energizing, but it can also be intimidating. Fear of failure or fear of being judged can sometimes stifle creativity and prevent individuals or teams from fully exploring new possibilities.

Limitations of Idea

Limitations of Idea are as follows:

• Implementation : Having a great idea is only the first step. The real challenge is implementing that idea in a way that brings it to life. This requires resources, time, and effort, and can often be more difficult than coming up with the idea itself.
• Context : Ideas are often generated in specific contexts, and may not be applicable or relevant in other contexts. For example, an idea that works well in one country may not work as well in another country with different cultural norms, economic conditions, or political systems.
• Competition : In many cases, multiple people may have the same idea, or similar ideas, at the same time. This can lead to intense competition for resources, funding, and attention, and may make it difficult for any one person or group to fully realize their vision.
• Execution : Even if an idea is well-conceived and well-suited to its context, it may not be successful if it is not executed properly. This requires careful planning, attention to detail, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
• Unintended consequences: Ideas can have unintended consequences that may be difficult to predict or control. For example, a new technology may have unforeseen negative impacts on the environment, or a social policy may unintentionally exacerbate existing inequalities.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 113 great research paper topics.

General Education

One of the hardest parts of writing a research paper can be just finding a good topic to write about. Fortunately we've done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of 113 interesting research paper topics. They've been organized into ten categories and cover a wide range of subjects so you can easily find the best topic for you.

In addition to the list of good research topics, we've included advice on what makes a good research paper topic and how you can use your topic to start writing a great paper.

What Makes a Good Research Paper Topic?

Not all research paper topics are created equal, and you want to make sure you choose a great topic before you start writing. Below are the three most important factors to consider to make sure you choose the best research paper topics.

#1: It's Something You're Interested In

A paper is always easier to write if you're interested in the topic, and you'll be more motivated to do in-depth research and write a paper that really covers the entire subject. Even if a certain research paper topic is getting a lot of buzz right now or other people seem interested in writing about it, don't feel tempted to make it your topic unless you genuinely have some sort of interest in it as well.

#2: There's Enough Information to Write a Paper

Even if you come up with the absolute best research paper topic and you're so excited to write about it, you won't be able to produce a good paper if there isn't enough research about the topic. This can happen for very specific or specialized topics, as well as topics that are too new to have enough research done on them at the moment. Easy research paper topics will always be topics with enough information to write a full-length paper.

Trying to write a research paper on a topic that doesn't have much research on it is incredibly hard, so before you decide on a topic, do a bit of preliminary searching and make sure you'll have all the information you need to write your paper.

#3: It Fits Your Teacher's Guidelines

Don't get so carried away looking at lists of research paper topics that you forget any requirements or restrictions your teacher may have put on research topic ideas. If you're writing a research paper on a health-related topic, deciding to write about the impact of rap on the music scene probably won't be allowed, but there may be some sort of leeway. For example, if you're really interested in current events but your teacher wants you to write a research paper on a history topic, you may be able to choose a topic that fits both categories, like exploring the relationship between the US and North Korea. No matter what, always get your research paper topic approved by your teacher first before you begin writing.

113 Good Research Paper Topics

Below are 113 good research topics to help you get you started on your paper. We've organized them into ten categories to make it easier to find the type of research paper topics you're looking for.

Arts/Culture

• Discuss the main differences in art from the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance .
• Analyze the impact a famous artist had on the world.
• How is sexism portrayed in different types of media (music, film, video games, etc.)? Has the amount/type of sexism changed over the years?
• How has the music of slaves brought over from Africa shaped modern American music?
• How has rap music evolved in the past decade?
• How has the portrayal of minorities in the media changed?

Current Events

• What have been the impacts of China's one child policy?
• How have the goals of feminists changed over the decades?
• How has the Trump presidency changed international relations?
• Analyze the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea.
• What factors contributed to the current decline in the rate of unemployment?
• What have been the impacts of states which have increased their minimum wage?
• How do US immigration laws compare to immigration laws of other countries?
• How have the US's immigration laws changed in the past few years/decades?
• How has the Black Lives Matter movement affected discussions and view about racism in the US?
• What impact has the Affordable Care Act had on healthcare in the US?
• What factors contributed to the UK deciding to leave the EU (Brexit)?
• What factors contributed to China becoming an economic power?
• Discuss the history of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies  (some of which tokenize the S&P 500 Index on the blockchain) .
• Do students in schools that eliminate grades do better in college and their careers?
• Do students from wealthier backgrounds score higher on standardized tests?
• Do students who receive free meals at school get higher grades compared to when they weren't receiving a free meal?
• Do students who attend charter schools score higher on standardized tests than students in public schools?
• Do students learn better in same-sex classrooms?
• How does giving each student access to an iPad or laptop affect their studies?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Montessori Method ?
• Do children who attend preschool do better in school later on?
• What was the impact of the No Child Left Behind act?
• How does the US education system compare to education systems in other countries?
• What impact does mandatory physical education classes have on students' health?
• Which methods are most effective at reducing bullying in schools?
• Do homeschoolers who attend college do as well as students who attended traditional schools?
• Does offering tenure increase or decrease quality of teaching?
• How does college debt affect future life choices of students?
• Should graduate students be able to form unions?

• What are different ways to lower gun-related deaths in the US?
• How and why have divorce rates changed over time?
• Is affirmative action still necessary in education and/or the workplace?
• Should physician-assisted suicide be legal?
• How has stem cell research impacted the medical field?
• How can human trafficking be reduced in the United States/world?
• Should people be able to donate organs in exchange for money?
• Which types of juvenile punishment have proven most effective at preventing future crimes?
• Has the increase in US airport security made passengers safer?
• Analyze the immigration policies of certain countries and how they are similar and different from one another.
• Several states have legalized recreational marijuana. What positive and negative impacts have they experienced as a result?
• Do tariffs increase the number of domestic jobs?
• Which prison reforms have proven most effective?
• Should governments be able to censor certain information on the internet?
• Which methods/programs have been most effective at reducing teen pregnancy?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Keto diet?
• How effective are different exercise regimes for losing weight and maintaining weight loss?
• How do the healthcare plans of various countries differ from each other?
• What are the most effective ways to treat depression ?
• What are the pros and cons of genetically modified foods?
• Which methods are most effective for improving memory?
• What can be done to lower healthcare costs in the US?
• What factors contributed to the current opioid crisis?
• Analyze the history and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic .
• Are low-carbohydrate or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
• How much exercise should the average adult be getting each week?
• Which methods are most effective to get parents to vaccinate their children?
• What are the pros and cons of clean needle programs?
• How does stress affect the body?
• Discuss the history of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
• What were the causes and effects of the Salem Witch Trials?
• Who was responsible for the Iran-Contra situation?
• How has New Orleans and the government's response to natural disasters changed since Hurricane Katrina?
• What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?
• What were the impacts of British rule in India ?
• Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary?
• What were the successes and failures of the women's suffrage movement in the United States?
• What were the causes of the Civil War?
• How did Abraham Lincoln's assassination impact the country and reconstruction after the Civil War?
• Which factors contributed to the colonies winning the American Revolution?
• What caused Hitler's rise to power?
• Discuss how a specific invention impacted history.
• What led to Cleopatra's fall as ruler of Egypt?
• How has Japan changed and evolved over the centuries?
• What were the causes of the Rwandan genocide ?

• Why did Martin Luther decide to split with the Catholic Church?
• Analyze the history and impact of a well-known cult (Jonestown, Manson family, etc.)
• How did the sexual abuse scandal impact how people view the Catholic Church?
• How has the Catholic church's power changed over the past decades/centuries?
• What are the causes behind the rise in atheism/ agnosticism in the United States?
• What were the influences in Siddhartha's life resulted in him becoming the Buddha?
• How has media portrayal of Islam/Muslims changed since September 11th?

Science/Environment

• How has the earth's climate changed in the past few decades?
• How has the use and elimination of DDT affected bird populations in the US?
• Analyze how the number and severity of natural disasters have increased in the past few decades.
• Analyze deforestation rates in a certain area or globally over a period of time.
• How have past oil spills changed regulations and cleanup methods?
• How has the Flint water crisis changed water regulation safety?
• What are the pros and cons of fracking?
• What impact has the Paris Climate Agreement had so far?
• What have NASA's biggest successes and failures been?
• How can we improve access to clean water around the world?
• Does ecotourism actually have a positive impact on the environment?
• Should the US rely on nuclear energy more?
• What can be done to save amphibian species currently at risk of extinction?
• What impact has climate change had on coral reefs?
• How are black holes created?
• Are teens who spend more time on social media more likely to suffer anxiety and/or depression?
• How will the loss of net neutrality affect internet users?
• Analyze the history and progress of self-driving vehicles.
• How has the use of drones changed surveillance and warfare methods?
• Has social media made people more or less connected?
• What progress has currently been made with artificial intelligence ?
• Do smartphones increase or decrease workplace productivity?
• What are the most effective ways to use technology in the classroom?
• How is Google search affecting our intelligence?
• When is the best age for a child to begin owning a smartphone?
• Has frequent texting reduced teen literacy rates?

How to Write a Great Research Paper

Even great research paper topics won't give you a great research paper if you don't hone your topic before and during the writing process. Follow these three tips to turn good research paper topics into great papers.

#1: Figure Out Your Thesis Early

Before you start writing a single word of your paper, you first need to know what your thesis will be. Your thesis is a statement that explains what you intend to prove/show in your paper. Every sentence in your research paper will relate back to your thesis, so you don't want to start writing without it!

As some examples, if you're writing a research paper on if students learn better in same-sex classrooms, your thesis might be "Research has shown that elementary-age students in same-sex classrooms score higher on standardized tests and report feeling more comfortable in the classroom."

If you're writing a paper on the causes of the Civil War, your thesis might be "While the dispute between the North and South over slavery is the most well-known cause of the Civil War, other key causes include differences in the economies of the North and South, states' rights, and territorial expansion."

#2: Back Every Statement Up With Research

Remember, this is a research paper you're writing, so you'll need to use lots of research to make your points. Every statement you give must be backed up with research, properly cited the way your teacher requested. You're allowed to include opinions of your own, but they must also be supported by the research you give.

#3: Do Your Research Before You Begin Writing

You don't want to start writing your research paper and then learn that there isn't enough research to back up the points you're making, or, even worse, that the research contradicts the points you're trying to make!

Get most of your research on your good research topics done before you begin writing. Then use the research you've collected to create a rough outline of what your paper will cover and the key points you're going to make. This will help keep your paper clear and organized, and it'll ensure you have enough research to produce a strong paper.

What's Next?

Are you also learning about dynamic equilibrium in your science class? We break this sometimes tricky concept down so it's easy to understand in our complete guide to dynamic equilibrium .

Thinking about becoming a nurse practitioner? Nurse practitioners have one of the fastest growing careers in the country, and we have all the information you need to know about what to expect from nurse practitioner school .

Want to know the fastest and easiest ways to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius? We've got you covered! Check out our guide to the best ways to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (or vice versa).

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Dal is calling students and early‑career professionals to pitch ideas to improve the world

Andrew Riley - May 23, 2024

Applications to compete in the annual Dalhousie-hosted Falling Walls Lab – Atlantic Canada pitch competition happening on Sept. 17 are now open. The event gives students and alumni the chance to make their case for an idea with the potential to create positive change in the world.  

The winner with the most compelling presentation will receive an expenses-paid trip to Berlin, Germany to compete in the global finals of the competition at the 2024  Falling Walls Science Summit  on November 7. There, they will mingle with Nobel Laureates and other global thought leaders and attend an exclusive program, including networking dinners and expert-led workshops. The winner will also receive professional pitch training to ensure they are ready for the global stage. 

Sign up by June 28 to compete.

It’s about inspiration

Competitors have just three minutes to present a solution to a pressing global challenge. The pitch needs to pursuade a jury from academia, media and business that it offers a viable path to improve our world. 

"Your Falling Walls breakthrough could be a scientific discovery with the potential to decrease fossil fuel emissions, a policy solution to end homelessness, an innovation that improves health outcomes, a business idea that promotes social good as well as economic benefit — anything that has the potential to make our lives better,” says Dr. Alice Aiken, Dalhousie vice president research and innovation, whose office organizes the event. 

“But to impress our judges you’ll also need to communicate a clear vision and tangible evidence to support your ideas." 

Last year, then-Dalhousie PhD student Joseph Bedard did exactly that, moving on from Dal’s regional competition to take first place in the global finals at the 2023 Berlin Falling Walls Science Summit. The chemist, who has since completed his doctorate, was awarded the top honour for his presentation on how plastics can be manufactured from nitrogen in the air, negating the need for petrochemicals. 

Joe Bedard makes his winning pitch at the global Falling Walls Lab finals in Berlin

“I tried to leverage my strengths during the pitch: I’m quite passionate about this science, and I like to laugh and have fun, so l tried to let both aspects of myself shine through,” says Dr. Bedard. “Winning at this competition has given my research a kind of visibility that is unparalleled to anything I've experienced before. Some pretty serious people have been approaching me with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm about this idea.”

Three minutes to change the world

Three minutes is all it takes. A Falling Walls Lab pitch is a brief, persuasive, and memorable speech that sparks the interest of the audience and takes them on a clear and logical journey. The jury uses three criteria to evaluate presentations: the breakthrough factor (how innovative is the proposed idea?), the relevance/impact (how relevant is the idea to the discipline and beyond?), and the performance (how convincing was the pitch?). 

Left: Lara Elena Kadegge, head of Falling Walls Lab

Kadegge also notes that the competition provides a perfect opportunity for researchers and young professionals to put their work into sharp focus and learn to articulate it to the world. Skills that come in handy, whether applying for scholarships and grants, or communicating ambitions to an employer. 

“Falling Walls Lab is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students and early-career professionals to share their research and ideas with the world,” she says. “By participating in one of the many international Labs worldwide, innovators not only develop their communication skills and drive their innovations, but also join the global Falling Walls Lab network of aspiring changemakers who want to break down walls in science and society. All while competing to win a ticket to the prestigious Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin.”

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Using ideas from game theory to improve the reliability of language models

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Imagine you and a friend are playing a game where your goal is to communicate secret messages to each other using only cryptic sentences. Your friend's job is to guess the secret message behind your sentences. Sometimes, you give clues directly, and other times, your friend has to guess the message by asking yes-or-no questions about the clues you've given. The challenge is that both of you want to make sure you're understanding each other correctly and agreeing on the secret message.

MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) researchers have created a similar "game" to help improve how AI understands and generates text. It is known as a “consensus game” and it involves two parts of an AI system — one part tries to generate sentences (like giving clues), and the other part tries to understand and evaluate those sentences (like guessing the secret message).

The researchers discovered that by treating this interaction as a game, where both parts of the AI work together under specific rules to agree on the right message, they could significantly improve the AI's ability to give correct and coherent answers to questions. They tested this new game-like approach on a variety of tasks, such as reading comprehension, solving math problems, and carrying on conversations, and found that it helped the AI perform better across the board.

Traditionally, large language models answer one of two ways: generating answers directly from the model (generative querying) or using the model to score a set of predefined answers (discriminative querying), which can lead to differing and sometimes incompatible results. With the generative approach, "Who is the president of the United States?" might yield a straightforward answer like "Joe Biden." However, a discriminative query could incorrectly dispute this fact when evaluating the same answer, such as "Barack Obama."

So, how do we reconcile mutually incompatible scoring procedures to achieve coherent, efficient predictions? 

"Imagine a new way to help language models understand and generate text, like a game. We've developed a training-free, game-theoretic method that treats the whole process as a complex game of clues and signals, where a generator tries to send the right message to a discriminator using natural language. Instead of chess pieces, they're using words and sentences," says Athul Jacob, an MIT PhD student in electrical engineering and computer science and CSAIL affiliate. "Our way to navigate this game is finding the 'approximate equilibria,' leading to a new decoding algorithm called 'equilibrium ranking.' It's a pretty exciting demonstration of how bringing game-theoretic strategies into the mix can tackle some big challenges in making language models more reliable and consistent."

When tested across many tasks, like reading comprehension, commonsense reasoning, math problem-solving, and dialogue, the team's algorithm consistently improved how well these models performed. Using the ER algorithm with the LLaMA-7B model even outshone the results from much larger models. "Given that they are already competitive, that people have been working on it for a while, but the level of improvements we saw being able to outperform a model that's 10 times the size was a pleasant surprise," says Jacob. 

"Diplomacy," a strategic board game set in pre-World War I Europe, where players negotiate alliances, betray friends, and conquer territories without the use of dice — relying purely on skill, strategy, and interpersonal manipulation — recently had a second coming. In November 2022, computer scientists, including Jacob, developed “Cicero,” an AI agent that achieves human-level capabilities in the mixed-motive seven-player game, which requires the same aforementioned skills, but with natural language. The math behind this partially inspired the Consensus Game. 

While the history of AI agents long predates when OpenAI's software entered the chat in November 2022, it's well documented that they can still cosplay as your well-meaning, yet pathological friend. 

The consensus game system reaches equilibrium as an agreement, ensuring accuracy and fidelity to the model's original insights. To achieve this, the method iteratively adjusts the interactions between the generative and discriminative components until they reach a consensus on an answer that accurately reflects reality and aligns with their initial beliefs. This approach effectively bridges the gap between the two querying methods. 

In practice, implementing the consensus game approach to language model querying, especially for question-answering tasks, does involve significant computational challenges. For example, when using datasets like MMLU, which have thousands of questions and multiple-choice answers, the model must apply the mechanism to each query. Then, it must reach a consensus between the generative and discriminative components for every question and its possible answers. 

The system did struggle with a grade school right of passage: math word problems. It couldn't generate wrong answers, which is a critical component of understanding the process of coming up with the right one. 

“The last few years have seen really impressive progress in both strategic decision-making and language generation from AI systems, but we’re just starting to figure out how to put the two together. Equilibrium ranking is a first step in this direction, but I think there’s a lot we’ll be able to do to scale this up to more complex problems,” says Jacob.   

An avenue of future work involves enhancing the base model by integrating the outputs of the current method. This is particularly promising since it can yield more factual and consistent answers across various tasks, including factuality and open-ended generation. The potential for such a method to significantly improve the base model's performance is high, which could result in more reliable and factual outputs from ChatGPT and similar language models that people use daily. 

"Even though modern language models, such as ChatGPT and Gemini, have led to solving various tasks through chat interfaces, the statistical decoding process that generates a response from such models has remained unchanged for decades," says Google Research Scientist Ahmad Beirami, who was not involved in the work. "The proposal by the MIT researchers is an innovative game-theoretic framework for decoding from language models through solving the equilibrium of a consensus game. The significant performance gains reported in the research paper are promising, opening the door to a potential paradigm shift in language model decoding that may fuel a flurry of new applications."

Jacob wrote the paper with MIT-IBM Watson Lab researcher Yikang Shen and MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science assistant professors Gabriele Farina and Jacob Andreas, who is also a CSAIL member. They presented their work at the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR) earlier this month, where it was highlighted as a "spotlight paper." The research also received a “best paper award” at the NeurIPS R0-FoMo Workshop in December 2023.

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MIT researchers have developed a new procedure that uses game theory to improve the accuracy and consistency of large language models (LLMs), reports Steve Nadis for Quanta Magazine . “The new work, which uses games to improve AI, stands in contrast to past approaches, which measured an AI program’s success via its mastery of games,” explains Nadis. 

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Research: Technology is changing how companies do business

By sarah mangus-sharpe.

A new study from the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business advances understanding of the U.S. production chain evolution amidst technological progress in information technology (IT), shedding light on the complex connections between business IT investments and organizational design. Advances in IT have sparked significant changes in how companies design their production processes. In the paper " Production Chain Organization in the Digital Age: Information Technology Use and Vertical Integration in U.S. Manufacturing ," which published April 30 in Management Science, Chris Forman , the Peter and Stephanie Nolan Professor in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management , and his co-author delved into what these changes mean for businesses and consumers.

Forman and Kristina McElheran, assistant professor of strategic management at University of Toronto, analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data of over 5,600 manufacturing plants to see how the production chains of businesses were affected by the internet revolution. Their use of census data allowed them to look inside the relationships among production units within and between companies and how transaction flows changed after companies invested in internet-enabled technology that facilitated coordination between them. The production units of many of the companies in their study concurrently sold to internal and external customers, a mix they refer to as plural selling. They found that the reduction in communication costs enabled by the internet shifted the mix toward more sales outside of the firm, or less vertical integration.

The research highlights the importance of staying ahead of the curve in technology. Companies that embrace digital technologies now are likely to be the ones that thrive in the future. And while there are still many unanswered questions about how these changes will play out, one thing is clear: The relationship between technology and business is only going to become more and more intertwined in the future.

Read the full story on the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business news site, BusinessFeed.

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How NASA Tracked the Most Intense Solar Storm in Decades

May 2024 has already proven to be a particularly stormy month for our Sun. During the first full week of May, a barrage of large solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) launched clouds of charged particles and magnetic fields toward Earth, creating the strongest solar storm to reach Earth in two decades — and possibly one of the strongest displays of auroras on record in the past 500 years.

We’ll be studying this event for years. It will help us test the limits of our models and understanding of solar storms.

Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla

Acting Director of NASA’s Moon to Mars (M2M) Space Weather Analysis Office

“We’ll be studying this event for years,” said Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla, acting director of NASA’s Moon to Mars (M2M) Space Weather Analysis Office. “It will help us test the limits of our models and understanding of solar storms.”

The first signs of the solar storm started late on May 7 with two strong solar flares. From May 7 – 11, multiple strong solar flares and at least seven CMEs stormed toward Earth. Eight of the flares in this period were the most powerful type, known as X-class, with the strongest peaking with a rating of X5.8. (Since then, the same solar region has released many more large flares, including an X8.7 flare — the most powerful flare seen this solar cycle — on May 14.)

Traveling at speeds up to 3 million mph, the CMEs bunched up in waves that reached Earth starting May 10, creating a long-lasting geomagnetic storm that reached a rating of G5 — the highest level on the geomagnetic storm scale, and one that hasn’t been seen since 2003.

“The CMEs all arrived largely at once, and the conditions were just right to create a really historic storm,” said Elizabeth MacDonald, NASA heliophysics citizen science lead and a space scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

When the storm reached Earth, it created brilliant auroras seen around the globe. Auroras were even visible at unusually low latitudes, including the southern U.S. and northern India. The strongest auroras were seen the night of May 10, and they continued to illuminate night skies throughout the weekend. Thousands of reports submitted to the NASA-funded Aurorasaurus citizen science site are helping scientists study the event to learn more about auroras.

“Cameras — even standard cell phone cameras — are much more sensitive to the colors of the aurora than they were in the past,” MacDonald said. “By collecting photos from around the world, we have a huge opportunity to learn more about auroras through citizen science.”

By one measure of geomagnetic storm strength, called the disturbance storm time index which dates back to 1957, this storm was similar to historic storms in 1958 and 2003. And with reports of auroras visible to as low as 26 degrees magnetic latitude, this recent storm may compete with some of the lowest-latitude aurora sightings on record over the past five centuries, though scientists are still assessing this ranking.

“It’s a little hard to gauge storms over time because our technology is always changing,” said Delores Knipp, a research professor in the Smead Aerospace Engineering Science Department and a senior research associate at the NCAR High Altitude Observatory, in Boulder, Colorado. “Aurora visibility is not the perfect measure, but it allows us to compare over centuries.”

MacDonald encourages people to continue submitting aurora reports to Aurorasaurus.org , noting that even non-sightings are valuable for helping scientists understand the extent of the event.

Leading up to the storm, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center, which is responsible for forecasting solar storm impacts, sent notifications to operators of power grids and commercial satellites to help them mitigate potential impacts.

Warnings helped many NASA missions brace for the storm, with some spacecraft preemptively powering down certain instruments or systems to avoid issues. NASA's ICESat-2 — which studies polar ice sheets — entered safe mode, likely because of increased drag due to the storm.  

Looking Forward

Better data on how solar events influence Earth's upper atmosphere is crucial to understanding space weather's impact on satellites, crewed missions, and Earth- and space-based infrastructure. To date, only a few limited direct measurements exist in this region. But more are coming. Future missions, such as NASA’s Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) and Dynamical Neutral Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling (DYNAMIC), will be able to see and measure exactly how Earth’s atmosphere responds to the energy influxes that occur during solar storms like this one. Such measurements will also be valuable as NASA sends astronauts to the Moon with the Artemis missions and, later, to Mars.

The solar region responsible for the recent stormy weather is now turning around the backside of the Sun, where its impacts can’t reach Earth. However, that doesn’t mean the storm is over. NASA’s Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO), currently located at about 12 degrees ahead of Earth in its orbit, will continue watching the active region an additional day after it is no longer visible from Earth.

“The active region is just starting to come into view of Mars,” said Jamie Favors, director for the NASA Space Weather Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We’re already starting to capture some data at Mars, so this story only continues.”

By Mara Johnson-Groh NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Media Contact: Sarah Frazier NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

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With NASA contributions, the mission will complement dark energy studies to be made by the agency’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The Euclid mission, led by ESA (the European Space Agency) with contributions from NASA, has released five new images that showcase the space telescope’s ability to explore two large-scale cosmic mysteries: dark matter […]

The Problem With America’s Protest Feedback Loop

Mass demonstrations are becoming more frequent but less effective.

The country is stuck in a protest feedback loop. In recent months, students opposed to the Israel-Gaza war have occupied lawns and buildings at college campuses across the country. Emulating climate activists who have stopped traffic on crucial roadways , pro-Palestine demonstrators have blocked access to major airports. For months, the protests intensified as university, U.S., and Israeli policies seemed unmoved. Frustrated by their inefficacy, the protesters redoubled their efforts and escalated their tactics.

Read: Can protest be too peaceful?

The lack of immediate outcomes from the Gaza protests is not at all unusual. In a new working paper at the National Bureau of Economic Research, Amory Gethin of the Paris School of Economics and Vincent Pons of Harvard Business School analyzed the effect of 14 social movements in the United States from 2017 to 2022. They varied in size: About 12,000 people marched against a potential war with Iran in January 2020; 4.2 million turned out for the first Women’s March. Pons told me that these large social movements succeeded in raising the general public’s awareness of their issues, something that he and Gethin measured through Google Trends and data from X.

Yet in nearly every case that the researchers examined in detail—including the Women’s March and the pro–gun control March for Our Lives, which brought out more than 3 million demonstrators—they could find no evidence that protesters changed minds or affected electoral behavior.

As the marginal cost of reaching hundreds of thousands, even millions, of potential protesters drops to zero, organizers have mastered the art of gaining attention through public demonstrations. Mass actions no longer require organized groups with members who pay dues, professional staffers who plan targeted actions, and designated leaders who can negotiate with public officials. They just need someone who can make a good Instagram graphic. But notwithstanding the clear benefits of social media for protest participants, the lure of racking up views on TikTok or X and getting on the homepage of major news sites can overwhelm other strategic goals. Protests are crowding out the array of other organizing tools that social movements need in order to be successful—and that has consequences for our entire political system.

The contours of mass protest have evolved over time. Researchers have found that since roughly 2010 —perhaps not coincidentally, when smartphone adoption spiked—political protests have become more frequent around the world, particularly in middle- and high-income countries. The “size and frequency of recent protests,” one analysis claims, “eclipse historical examples of eras of mass protest, such as the late-1960s, late-1980s, and early-1990s.”

Movements learn. Over the years, social movements have internalized the strategic superiority of nonviolence: More people are willing to join a peaceful march than are willing to join one that includes violent confrontations. The UC Berkeley professor Omar Wasow’s research bolsters the argument for strategic adoption of nonviolence by looking at Black-led protests from 1960 to 1972. Wasow found that violent protests increased Republican support in the electorate and may have even tipped the 1968 presidential election toward Richard Nixon and against Hubert Humphrey, the lead author of the Civil Rights Act.

Much of the academic literature on mass protest focuses on movements, in countries around the globe, seeking to topple a government or win independence. According to the Harvard political scientist Erica Chenoweth, violent insurgencies against state power have declined, while nonviolent movements have become more common. (Chenoweth defines violent resistance as including not just “bombings, shootings [and] kidnappings” but also “physical sabotage such as the destruction of infrastructure, and other types of physical harm of people and property.”)

Yet seeking change through peaceful persuasion has also become less effective. Since 2010, Chenoweth wrote in a 2020 essay in the Journal of Democracy , fewer than a third of nonviolent campaigns, and just 8 percent of violent ones, have been successful—down from about two-thirds of nonviolent insurgencies and one-quarter of violent ones in the 1990s.

Mass struggles have come to rely too much on street protests, Chenoweth observes, and to neglect the “quiet, behind-the-scenes planning and organizing that enable movements to mobilize in force over the long term, and to coordinate and sequence tactics in a way that builds participation, leverage, and power.” Past research by the sociologist Kenneth Andrews on the Mississippi civil-rights movement and the War on Poverty found that counties with “strong movement infrastructures” yielded greater funding for anti-poverty programs; activists in these areas had better access to decision-making bodies and more influence over how social programs worked. “Movements were most influential,” Andrews explained, “when they built local organizations that allowed for an oscillation between mass-based tactics and routine negotiation with agency officials.”

Even under the most favorable circumstances, public protest will never be perfectly orderly. As the prominent sociologist Charles Tilly once wrote , a social movement is not unitary. It’s a “cluster of performances,” a “loosely-choreographed dance,” or even a “jam session with changing players”—all of which, he says, “have well-defined structures and histories, but not one of them is ipso facto a group, or even the actions of a single group.”

Many critics of modern protests are fixated on a picturesque, Tocquevillian vision of democracy—an imaginary world where interest groups always argue respectfully and compromise amiably. This vision isn’t aspirational; it’s fundamentally at odds with how human beings normally behave. Real-life democracy is a marketplace of ideas and emotions and arguments bouncing off one another, scrabbling for purchase in the hearts of voters, the minds of the cultural elite, and the press clippings skimmed by harried politicians.

Read: Do protests even work?

The Gethin and Pons study about the inefficacy of modern American mass movements identified one glaring exception: the protests over George Floyd’s murder. In the summer of 2020, nearly 2 million people participated in more than 5,000 separate racial-justice protests in the United States. Gethin and Pons found that after the protests, Americans expressed “more liberal answers on racial issues.” They also appeared more likely to vote in the upcoming presidential election and less likely to vote for then-President Donald Trump. This finding about the effectiveness of the 2020 anti-racism protests on the American public is supported by other research .

Policy change did occur in the aftermath of these protests. The Brennan Center for Justice found that, in the year following Floyd’s death, half of American states enacted legislation regarding use-of-force standards, police-misconduct policies, or both.

The Black Lives Matter protests during that period were different in part because they defied the caricature of protesters as radical college students with nothing but time. According to a study led by the Johns Hopkins economist Nick Papageorge , on factors such as gender and race, the demographics of the protests were actually more representative of the American public than the 2020 presidential electorate was.

What’s more striking is that a full third of protest participants identified as Republicans. Underscoring the ideological diversity of the movement, 30 percent of summer 2020 protesters in the researchers’ survey sample had attended BLM rallies as well as demonstrations seeking less stringent pandemic precautions—even though the two causes were widely characterized as coming from opposite sides of the political spectrum.

Another reason the BLM protests succeeded is that they were overwhelmingly peaceful—despite some high-profile outbreaks of violence in cities such as Minneapolis, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon. According to research by Chenoweth and the political scientist Jeremy Pressman, more than 96 percent of the 2020 racial-justice protests resulted in no property damage or police injury, while nearly 98 percent resulted in zero reports of injuries among participants, bystanders, and police.

The Floyd protests did not materialize out of nowhere. The intellectual foundation had been laid by years of previous protests that created some organizational infrastructure and steadily increased the public’s support for the BLM movement until it surged upward in June 2020. Perhaps the other movements in the Gethin and Pons sample will prepare the way for future actions when the circumstances are ripe.

Still, many movements seeking to capitalize on public attention find themselves trampled underneath its power. Media attention flocks to the most radical and provocative elements and emboldens the voices on the fringes. Movement leaders have lost their ability to promote an overall message. Not surprisingly, despite the full slate of potential reforms that could have gained traction after Floyd’s murder, the slogan that everyone remembers is “Defund the police”—a policy demand that represented just a minority of voters’ views even as the majority of Americans were calling for far-reaching reforms of police departments . Who can credibly claim to speak for the campus protesters who oppose the war in Gaza?

Even though nobody knows who the leaders are, some of the protesters’ positions do seem to resonate off campus: Morning Consult polling from late last month suggests that 60 percent of Americans support a cease-fire, 58 percent support humanitarian aid to Palestinians, and fewer than half of voters support military aid to Israel.

Still, other stances taken by protesters—such as pushing universities to divest from companies with ties to Israel or, in some cases, calling for an end to Israeli statehood—have scant support among the general public. And the college protests themselves are widely frowned upon: In another poll from May 2, when asked whether college administrators had responded too harshly to college protesters, just 16 percent of respondents said administrators had responded too harshly; 33 percent thought they weren’t harsh enough.

While even entirely nonviolent protests cannot count on public support, escalatory actions such as trespassing, vandalism, and property destruction undermine and distract from broadly shared goals. People in left-leaning movements know full well that some of their own supporters are undermining message discipline and strategic imperatives. Groups critical of Israel have tried to organize boycotts of a handful of companies that, in their view, have been complicit in harming Palestinians. But among sympathizers on social media, perhaps the most prominent boycott target has been Starbucks , which is not on the list.

Tyler Austin Harper: America’s colleges are reaping what they sowed

Yet even as the burden is on protest organizers to articulate clear, feasible policy and persuade their fellow citizens to go along, everyone should be concerned if protesters whose demands have substantial support fail time and again to register gains in Washington. Civil unrest is inherently delegitimizing to a government. Protests are in part a rejection of traditional methods of registering opinion. Their increasing regularity indicates that people believe voting and calling their representatives are insufficient. In fact, many people who participated in the 2020 protests—both the Floyd ones and the anti-lockdown ones—did not end up voting in the presidential election that year.

In remarks about the campus demonstrations last week, President Joe Biden offered a tepid defense of nonviolent protest , saying, “Peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues.” Later on, he added that “dissent must never lead to disorder.”

But the disorder that Biden warned against is not just a matter of college students getting graduation canceled this year; it’s also a matter of some Americans deciding over time that voting may not be worthwhile. Polls suggest that the public is deeply dissatisfied with how the U.S. political system is working. A feedback loop in which demonstrations proliferate to little effect, while radicalized protesters become ever more disillusioned with democracy, is a dangerous one. If you’re worried about the disorder on college campuses now, imagine if Americans lose faith in the power of democratic voice altogether.

Honors Presented at Convocation 2024

• Posted May 22, 2024
• By News editor

**Live stream begins Thursday, May 22 at 3:30 p.m.

Complete list of honorees:

Convocation Speaker : Howard Gardner

Morningstar Family Teaching Award : David Dockterman, Lecturer

Phyllis Strimling Award: Kavya Krishna , Ed.M. Candidate, Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship

HGSE Intellectual Contribution Award Recipients

• Online Master's in Education (OEL): Kamal James, Inella Ray
• Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship (ELOE): Rosa Maria Martinez, Shani Shay
• Education Policy and Analysis (EPA): Anthony Garciano, Srishti Gulati
• Human Development and Education (HDE): Keshav Bhatt, Helena Martinez Bravo
• Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology (LDIT): Jungyoon Choi, Haytch Bialer
• Teaching and Teacher Leadership (TTL): Clari Heredia, Bryant Odega

HGSE Class Marshals

• Ph.D. in Education – Mary Laski and Douglas Mosher
• Certificate of Advanced Study – Matt Cohen
• OEL – Nedaa Alwawi
• ELOE – Victoria Nguyen
• EPA – Marc Claude
• HSE – Justin Babu
• LDIT – Vincent Ferguson
• TTL – Isabel Wolfer

HGSE Convocation Student Speaker : Aryana Kamelian, Ed.M. Candidate, Education Policy and Analysis

HGSE Convocation Faculty Speaker : Irvin Scott, Senior Lecturer on Education

Alumni Council Awards : Craig Paxton, Ed.M.'09, and Janhvi Maheshwari-Kanoria, Ed.M.'10

For more information on Commencement 2023, visit: https://www.gse.harvard.edu/commencement.

The latest research, perspectives, and highlights from the Harvard Graduate School of Education

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[ICCV 2023] The official implementation of paper "HumanSD: A Native Skeleton-Guided Diffusion Model for Human Image Generation"

IDEA-Research/HumanSD

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This repository contains the implementation of the ICCV2023 paper:

HumanSD: A Native Skeleton-Guided Diffusion Model for Human Image Generation [Project Page] [Paper] [Code] [Video] [Data] Xuan Ju ∗12 , Ailing Zeng ∗1 , Chenchen Zhao ∗2 , Jianan Wang 1 , Lei Zhang 1 , Qiang Xu 2 ∗ Equal contribution 1 International Digital Economy Academy 2 The Chinese University of Hong Kong

In this work, we propose a native skeleton-guided diffusion model for controllable HIG called HumanSD. Instead of performing image editing with dual-branch diffusion, we fine-tune the original SD model using a novel heatmap-guided denoising loss. This strategy effectively and efficiently strengthens the given skeleton condition during model training while mitigating the catastrophic forgetting effects. HumanSD is fine-tuned on the assembly of three large-scale human-centric datasets with text-imagepose information, two of which are established in this work.

• (a) a generation by the pre-trained pose-less text-guided stable diffusion (SD)
• (b) pose skeleton images as the condition to ControlNet and our proposed HumanSD
• (c) a generation by ControlNet
• (d) a generation by HumanSD (ours). ControlNet and HumanSD receive both text and pose conditions.

HumanSD shows its superiorities in terms of (I) challenging poses, (II) accurate painting styles, (III) pose control capability, (IV) multi-person scenarios, and (V) delicate details.

Table of Contents

Model Overview

Environment requirement, model and checkpoints, quantitative results, natural scene, sketch scene, shadow play scene, children drawing scene, oil painting scene, watercolor scene, digital art scene, relief scene, sculpture scene, acknowledgement.

News!! Our paper have been accepted by ICCV2023! Training code is released.

• Release inference code and pretrained models
• Release Gradio UI demo
• Public training data (LAION-Human)
• Release training code

Getting Started

HumanSD has been implemented and tested on Pytorch 1.12.1 with python 3.9.

Clone the repo:

We recommend you first install pytorch following official instructions . For example:

Then, you can install required packages thourgh:

You also need to install MMPose following here . Noted that you only need to install MMPose as a python package. PS: Because of the update of MMPose, we recommend you to install 0.29.0 version of MMPose.

Download necessary checkpoints of HumanSD, which can be found here . The data structure should be like:

Noted that v2-1_512-ema-pruned.ckpt should be download from Stable Diffusion .

You can run demo either through command line or gradio.

You can run demo through command line with:

You can also run demo compared with ControlNet and T2I-Adapter:

You can run gradio demo through:

We have also provided the comparison of ControlNet and T2I-Adapter, you can run all these methods in one demo. But you need to download corresponding model and checkpoints following:

(2) Then download checkpoints from: a. T2I-Adapter b. ControlNet . And put them into humansd_data/checkpoints

Noted that you may have to modify some code in T2I-Adapter due to the path conflict.

You may refer to the code here for loading the data.

Laion-Human

You may apply for access of Laion-Human here . Noted that we have provide the pose annotations, images' .parquet file and mapping file, please download the images according to .parquet. The key in .parquet is the corresponding image index. For example, image with key=338717 in 00033.parquet is corresponding to images/00000/000338717.jpg.

After downloading the images and pose, you need to extract zip files and make it looks like:

Then, you can use python utils/download_data.py to download all images.

Then, the file data structure should be like:

If you download the LAION-Aesthetics in tar files, which is different from our data structure, we recommend you extract the tar file through code:

You may download Human-Art dataset here .

The file data structure should be like:

Note that the datasets and checkpoints should be downloaded and prepared before training.

Run the commands below to start training:

If you want to finetune without heat-map-guided diffusion loss for ablation, you can run the following commands:

Metrics can be calculated through:

Qualitative Results

• (a) a generation by the pre-trained text-guided stable diffusion (SD)
• (b) pose skeleton images as the condition to ControlNet, T2I-Adapter and our proposed HumanSD
• (d) a generation by T2I-Adapter
• (e) a generation by HumanSD (ours).

ControlNet, T2I-Adapter, and HumanSD receive both text and pose conditions.

• Our code is modified on the basis of Stable Diffusion , thanks to all the contributors!
• HumanSD would not be possible without LAION and their efforts to create open, large-scale datasets.
• Thanks to the DeepFloyd team at Stability AI, for creating the subset of LAION-5B dataset used to train HumanSD.
• HumanSD uses OpenCLIP , trained by Romain Beaumont .
• Python 100.0%