In his 1993 article, “In Search of…Good Ideas,” Ron Zemke discusses the practice of brainstorming, particularly within quality teams . The basis of Zemke's article is the work of Alex F. Osborn from the 1930s which largely gave rise to the concept of brainstorming. In Applied Imagination, Osborn's 1957 bestseller, the notion of “classic” brainstorming is explained with a specific structure (Zemke, 1993). It includes five stages, four rules of conduct and two fundamental principles (Zemke, 1993). To begin, Osborn indicated that the brainstorming session should include five to twelve people, in addition to a trained facilitator (Zemke, 1993). The first step in brainstorming consists of the facilitator preparing the session by developing the problem statement and recruiting participants (Zemke, 1993). The second step is orientation, when the facilitator conveys the concept of brainstorming and how it works, in addition to stating the problem the group is supposed to think about (Zemke, 1993). The next step is idea generation. At this point, the facilitator asks participants to verbalize their solutions to the defined problem for thirty to forty-five minutes (Zemke, 1993). The facilitator writes down ideas on a board or flipchart (Zemke, 1993). During this classic brainstorming, there are four rules of conduct that Osborn says must be followed: 1) no criticism, 2) freedom of action is encouraged. and welcomed, 3) favor quantity, and 4) combine and improve (Zemke, 1993). Collectively, these rules aim to come up with a large quantity of ideas, without worrying about their impracticality, and to build on the ideas of other members of the brainstorming group (Zemke, 1993). Finally, Osborn describes two fundamental principles...... middle of paper...... idea generators” (Litchfield, 2008, p. 659). Alex Osborn's initial work in the field of brainstorming continues to be the foundation upon which idea generation methods are based. Research into new and original brainstorming methods continues, with no “good” method prevailing. The productivity of group brainstorming versus individual brainstorming continues to be studied, along with the merits of each (Goldenberg, 2011; Paulus, 2006). Research and studies over the past decade have suggested additional insights and offered new methods that managers can choose from when they need idea generation techniques for their teams. Although there is no agreed best method, research continues to incorporate new knowledge, particularly in the technical field, to provide various options for organizations seeking to generate the best ideas to meet their individual needs..