Positive applications only!

Research in informatics engineering severely hampers itself with a long-standing 'positive results bias' for publications, now alarmingly coupled together with a more recent trend: application-focused research. So not only do research results have to improve upon previous work, the research also has to have a tangible and obvious application. Gone are the days of researching ideas and presenting these ideas for shared academic innovation at conferences. Now, if research does not 'solve' a problem, then it is deemed unfocused and useless. But without theory there are no applications, or have we become so arrogant, complacent, and market-driven that even theory has to have a tangible, saleable outcome? Has all research morphed into 'applied theory'?

If one stopped to think for long enough, negative research results are actually positive results: someone has investigated an idea that evidently doesn't work, and by publishing these 'negative' results, this then deters future researchers from going down the same forsaken path. But no, for some reason, (informatics) engineers and computer scientists can't think outside their boxes to come up with novel applications for new theories, or see the merit in 'negative' results for future intellectual benefit.

Cynical? Never. Defeated? Probably. *sigh* Just give me a minute to crawl back into the box sold to me by my profession and educational institution. I've wandered out of it for long enough to draw significant attention to myself. Wouldn't want to be different. Oh no.