Beyond the Obvious: Alvesson and Sandberg's Method of Problematizing Research

Why do so many academic works feel unoriginal, predictable, and safe? This book offers a bold answer: most research isn't actually innovative-it's just filling gaps within already accepted frameworks. Drawing on the groundbreaking work of Mats Alvesson and Jörgen Sandberg, Beyond the Gap: Problematization and the Art of Thinking Differently challenges the very foundations of conventional academic inquiry.

Rather than extending existing theories, Alvesson and Sandberg urge scholars to engage in problematization-a method that questions the assumptions, root metaphors, and ideological blind spots that shape entire research fields. This book introduces their critical methodology, exposes the limitations of "gap-spotting," and invites readers to embrace disruption over repetition.

Designed for researchers, graduate students, and critical thinkers, this book isn't a guide to finding flaws in data-it's a call to rethink the very questions we ask. It teaches readers how to challenge disciplinary norms, deconstruct common-sense concepts, and uncover the political and ethical implications of research frameworks.

With clear explanations, sharp critiques, and powerful insights, Beyond the Gap is both a critique of academic complacency and a roadmap for those who want to think differently. If you've ever felt that your field is stuck in a loop-or that innovation has been reduced to technical tweaks-this book dares you to ask: what if the whole structure is flawed?