Idea tactics

{{Summary
 * title=Idea Tactics
 * authors=Marcia J. Bates
 * tags=IR, information seeking behavior, search strategy, problem solving
 * summary=This paper presents 17 "idea tactics" for helping in information searching: 6 idea generation tactics and 11 pattern breaking tactics. It forms part of the literature of search strategy and is closely related to problem solving. The heart of the paper is Table 1, which summarizes the tactics.

Idea generation tactics

 * Think
 * Brainstorm
 * Meditate
 * Consult
 * Rescue (check for other untried paths that may be productive, when a search is going wrong)
 * Wander

Pattern Breaking Tactics

 * Catch
 * Break
 * Breach (redefine the boundaries, either mental or physical)
 * Reframe
 * Notice
 * Jolt
 * Change
 * Focus
 * Dilate
 * Skip (shift one's view laterally -- either switching the aspect being searched or switching the view of the search)
 * Stop