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Recent debates identified the insufficient production of “interesting research”, namely research that is innovative and develops theory while being both usable and rigorous. We propose that scenarios methodology as a scholarly form of inquiry is one way in which we can generate “interesting research”. We present and compare how this methodology was used to investigate three research studies: (i) the unfolding of retailing formats in India; (ii) the evolution of migration patterns in Europe and the Mediterranean; and (iii) climate change and regional and urban planning in the Tulum region of the Peninsula of Yucatán. We found that when scenarios are used as a scholarly methodology involving iterations and revisions, they help to challenge existing assumptions, identify novel lines of inquiry, and enable new research opportunities to emerge,—thus opening up a research mode that helps engaged scholars to make sense of and address complex and uncertain contexts and produce interesting findings.

More information Original publication

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2015.06.006

Type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Publication Date

08/2015

Volume

71

Pages

70 - 87

Keywords

Interesting research; Scenario research methodology; Scenarios as scholarly inquiry; Scenario iterations and revisions; Research in uncertain contexts; Usable rigorous research