When Intuition Invites the Analytical Mind to Dance
Good epidemiologic research demands logic, rigor, and objectivity. These cardinal virtues are essential to scientific progress, but they are not sufficient. Intuition and creativity also play a key role. Unfortunately, an emphasis on scientific rigor can translate into a distrust of less structured processes. Intuition may be dismissed as irrelevant, trivial, and even “unscientific.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The history of science is rich with examples of intuition and creativity at the very core of the scientific process.