Ideometrics: The Science of Generating, Evaluating and Prioritising Ideas

Abstract

This paper introduces and outlines a new integrative field, Ideometrics. It is the systematic science of generating, evaluating, and prioritising ideas, based on the proposed sense of ideas and assigning value to information by the brain. Drawing on the structure based on the three fundamental aims, our work maps out the landscape of more than 70 methodologies that were applied to address those three aims across time, disciplines, and epistemic paradigms. The part on generating ideas synthesises classical creativity techniques, participatory approaches and computational innovations. The part on evaluating ideas explores the wide ranging methods developed to this end. The part on prioritising ideas assesses different prioritisation techniques. A central argument of this paper is that although these methods arose separately and independently, most often isolated by disciplinary boundaries, they share remarkable conceptual and structural similarities. Recurring features include creative ideation, aggregation of input, balancing of subjective and objective criteria, embedded value assumptions and iterative refinement. There is also a more recent trend of application of statistical inference and introduction of artificial intelligence, making Ideometrics increasingly quantitative, testable, replicable and digital. These insights suggest the feasibility and necessity of unifying these traditions under a common scientific framework, establishing Ideometrics as a rigorous and practically useful field of scientific enquiry. We believe that this is the first systematic attempt to document, compare, and synthesise the full spectrum of methodologies used to generate, evaluate and prioritise ideas. Our framework is flexible and designed to evolve, to assist in identifying the ideas that could have the most positive future impact in a way that is transparent, inclusive, and analytically sound.