Abstract
This study was conducted to identify Korea's TRIZ research trends and to propose implications for setting a direction for future TRIZ research by analyzing TRIZ-related research over the past 15 years, or from 1998 to 2013. The subjects in this study were 256 published studies, including 149 studies in academic journals, 97 master theses, and 10 doctorate theses. This study reached the following conclusion. First, academic journals were the most frequent form of publication of TRIZ-related studies, followed by master's degree theses, and doctorate theses. Second, two or more TRIZ tools were used to solve problems and the most frequently used topic was technical contradiction as the result of frequency analysis for TRIZ research topics. This signified that it was easier to solve problems when various TRIZ tools were used, rather than applying a single TRIZ tool while technical contradiction was considered to be actively used as it allowed the relatively easy understanding of TRIZ. Third, the use of TRIZ research topics had increased and diversified each year. This could be interpreted to be based on the increased understanding of TRIZ. Fourth, case studies and experimental research were the most frequently used methods in TRIZ-related research. This was because various TRIZ tools were applied on problem solving situations, which were directly proposed as the research result. Fifth, the use of TRIZ was increasing in the educational field. Specifically, it was noted that TRIZ was used in creativity education with the use of 40 invention principles in elementary, middle, and high schools.