Science discovers facts through observation. Not just science, but academia in general can be described as an intellectual activity that identifies universal facts through observation and accumulates them as knowledge.
On the other hand, the development of objects and systems is a different intellectual activity from academia. Development creates new objects and systems through design, realizing material prosperity and technological advancement.
Generally, there is a relationship where knowledge accumulated through academia is utilized in development.
Furthermore, some academic fields, like engineering, accumulate knowledge discovered during development. Such fields are called practical sciences and are sometimes distinguished from basic sciences like physics.
Thus, academia is centered on the discovery of facts through observation, while development is centered on the invention of objects and systems through design, demonstrating different axes of intellectual activity.
However, even within academia, the intellectual activity of invention through design exists.
This is framework design.
A clear example of framework design in science is the geocentric and heliocentric models.
The geocentric and heliocentric models are not hypotheses competing over which is factual. They are choices about which conceptual framework to apply to interpret observed facts.
And their value is judged not by correctness, but by utility, and they are selected based on utility for each specific situation.
This is precisely invention through design, not discovery through observation.
Furthermore, Newtonian mechanics, relativity, and quantum mechanics are also examples of framework design. These too are conceptual frameworks whose usage is differentiated based on utility, not correctness, depending on the situation.
These are called paradigm shifts, but it is more accurate to view them not as a complete shift in thinking, but as an increase in useful options. Therefore, it might be more appropriate to call them paradigm inventions or paradigm innovations.
Not limited to science, similarly in various academic fields, useful conceptual frameworks are sometimes newly invented, rather than discovered through observation.
Organized in this way, it becomes clear that invention through design occupies a very important position as an intellectual activity even within academia.
Differences in Skill Sets
Discovery through observation and invention through design are vastly different intellectual activities. Consequently, they require different skill sets.
Those who brought about major paradigm innovations in academia likely possessed these two distinct skill sets.
On the other hand, many academics and researchers can gain recognition by writing papers if they excel at the intellectual activity of making discoveries through observation within already invented frameworks.
Therefore, not all academics and researchers necessarily possess the skill set for invention through design. Rather, opportunities to engage in invention through design or to learn about its importance may not be abundant.
Thus, it is not surprising that most academics and researchers lean towards the skill set for discovery through observation, and have not particularly acquired the skill set for framework design.
Software Engineers
On the other hand, there are people whose profession is development. A prime example is various types of engineers involved in development.
The skill set for invention through design is, to varying degrees, an essential skill for engineers in their respective fields. Furthermore, these skills accumulate through daily development work.
However, these design skills are highly specialized, unique to each field, and, apart from the very basic aspects, are not easily transferable to other fields.
In particular, framework design in academia is a specialized field that involves reconfiguring abstract concepts at a meta-level.
Therefore, simply possessing design skills does not mean one can apply them to framework design.
However, among engineers, software engineers are special. This is because they routinely perform the task of reconfiguring abstract concepts at a meta-level in software design.
For this reason, software engineers potentially possess the skill set required for framework design in academia.
Of course, to be able to apply these skills to advanced areas like academic framework design, one must excel at designing abstract concepts.
And individuals with a habit of contemplating new design models on a daily basis would be well-suited.