關於研究主題的創新性
Research Novelty

(本文僅個人觀點，嚴禁抄襲轉載)
如果要把所做的研究發表出來，那麼論文(Paper)必須要有創新性"Novelty"才可以被好的期刊接受。若是創新性較為薄弱，文章可能會被審稿人(Reviewer)拒絕，並且得到"Lack of Novelty"這個評語。但是到底什麼才是novelty，要多創新才可以呢?其實同學們可以發現，很多有發表在好期刊的文章，其實並不是全新的，但是讀者和審稿人覺得它"有趣"及"合理"。奇怪的是，如果一個全新且充滿創意又有用的研究，很難發表出來。其原因是因為審稿人從來沒看過這個研究，雖然憑空想出來的研究即使有趣又合理，但由於審稿人沒看過，就會對這個全新的研究就會抱持高度懷疑，因此創新程度太高，反倒是很難發表出來。就我個人的觀點，我常覺得全新的研究才是價值最高，最有趣且值得花時間去做的，但由於整個學術大環境比較保守，因此有點新，別人已有基本的理論基礎，但又不要太新的研究，才是最好發表的。如果要量化創新性，在林子恩老師個人的定義之下，可能是
20%意外結果+80%的常規結果

10%創新亮點+90%已知理論

10%另闢蹊徑+90%循規蹈矩

加上無所不在的巧思+全文的嚴謹邏輯

那麼為什麼有些創新顯得不倫不類呢?如下圖

雖然上圖很有創意，可能在文創市場會大受歡迎，可是如果要發表科研論文，就顯得毫無道理，不知道作者為什麼要設計這樣的一件衣服。
那研究生要如何讓自己的研究主題有創新性呢?並且做出一些研究，填補人類在某個方面的知識空白，可以參考以下的方法：

1.延伸型研究:在這個傳統主題之下，有A材料，以及B材料，同學們可以提出C材料，來延伸這個傳統領域。

2.整合型研究：目前有A材料，也有B材料，同學們可以把A和B整合，提出一個C材料或方法，可以解決A、B所不能解決的問題。

3.仿生型研究：近年來仿生型研究相當受歡迎，通常是模仿生物體的微結構，例如模仿鯊魚皮的微針狀表面，還有壁虎的手掌微結構，或是模仿葉脈的水分傳輸模式，模仿電鰻的放電原理等。

4.環保型研究：近年來環保意識高漲，若把材料與各種設計跟環保做連結，便可以算是一種創新，實驗室的綠色電子方面的研究就是如此。

5.潮流型研究：把研究主題跟最新潮流結合，以提升審稿人的興趣，例如最近AI、VR、AR、元宇宙、半導體、數位分身等關鍵字很紅，那麼我們就必須盡量把研究跟時下熱門的關鍵字結合，例如利用AI以及AR來輔助感測器的準確性等等，結合熱門關鍵字的研究會比較吸引人。

總結來說，以本實驗室的研究為例，通常是設計新的材料，再設計新的裝置，並用於感測器裝置。所以第一步要對化學材料有一定的理解，再來針對新材料的優點，設計新的元件，並用於壓力、肌電等感測。未來希望能搭配虛擬實境，或是數位分身，讓感測器能夠發揮最大的效用。

Research Novelty (Please do not plagiarize this article)
If you want to publish your research, your paper must have "novelty" in order to be accepted by a good journal. If the level of novelty is weak, the paper may be rejected by reviewers with the comment "Lack of Novelty." But what exactly is novelty, and how innovative does a study need to be?

In reality, many papers published in high-quality journals are not entirely new; rather, they are considered "interesting" and "reasonable" by readers and reviewers. Strangely, research that is completely new, highly creative, and useful is often difficult to publish. The reason is that reviewers have never seen such research before. Even if an idea is intriguing and logical, reviewers tend to be highly skeptical of studies that are too novel. As a result, research that is excessively innovative is actually more challenging to publish.

From my personal perspective, I believe that entirely new research is the most valuable, interesting, and worth pursuing. However, since the academic community tends to be conservative, studies that are somewhat new—meaning they have a theoretical foundation but are not overly novel—are the easiest to publish.

To quantify novelty, according to my own definition, it may be:

• 20% unexpected results + 80% conventional results

• 10% innovative highlights + 90% established theories

• 10% unconventional approaches + 90% traditional methods

• Plus, ubiquitous ingenuity and rigorous logical structure throughout the paper

But why do some innovations seem out of place? Consider the example shown in the illustration below.

Although the design in the illustration is highly creative and might be well-received in the cultural and creative industries, it appears completely illogical in the context of academic research. Readers would struggle to understand the rationale behind such a design.

So, how can graduate students ensure that their research topics are innovative and contribute to filling gaps in human knowledge? Here are some possible approaches:

1. Extension Research: In a traditional research field, if there are materials A and B, students can propose material C to extend the scope of the field.

2. Integration Research: If materials A and B already exist, students can integrate them to propose material C or a new method that addresses limitations of both A and B.

3. Biomimetic Research: Recently, biomimetic research has gained popularity. This approach involves imitating biological microstructures, such as the micro-needle-like surface of shark skin, the microstructure of gecko palms, the water transport model of leaf veins, or the electric discharge principle of electric eels.

4. Environmental Research: With the growing awareness of environmental issues, linking materials and designs to sustainability can be considered an innovation. Our laboratory's research on green electronics is an example of this approach.

5. Trend-Based Research: Combining research topics with current trends can enhance reviewers' interest. For instance, keywords such as AI, VR, AR, metaverse, semiconductors, and digital twins are currently popular. Therefore, researchers should try to integrate their studies with these trending topics, such as using AI and AR to improve sensor accuracy. Studies that incorporate trending keywords tend to attract more attention.

In summary, taking our laboratory's research as an example, we typically design new materials, develop new devices, and apply them to sensor systems. The first step is to have a solid understanding of chemical materials. Then, based on the advantages of new materials, we design novel components and apply them to sensors for pressure, electromyography, and other applications. In the future, we hope to integrate these sensors with virtual reality or digital twins to maximize their potential.