Defining Inventive Thinking: A Scoping Review Protocol

Inventive thinking has been a key aspect of creativity that many are attempting to conceptualize in the recent decade. Yet, inconsistencies and ambiguities to what inventive thinking entails across the literature thwarts the ability to cohesively assess and develop effective programs to foster this cognitive ability. This proposed review aims to synthesize current literature to derive a working definition to characterize inventive thinking. Searches will be conducted through four different databases to extract the key constructs and methodologies involved, which will be reported in a tabular and narrative synthesis format. Findings from this study will inform a unified understanding towards inventive thinking, facilitating future research and practical implementations aiming to equip individuals with this core aspect of creativity.