A call to Action Research for Transformations: The times demand it

Bradbury, Hilary; Waddell, Steve; Brien, Karen O’; Apgar, Marina; Teehankee, Benito L.; Fazey, Ioan

doi:10.1177/1476750319829633

Cited by 118 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Planners rarely have interest or scope to consider transformative practices focusing instead on ensuring that formal planning processes and outcomes are legally correct [28]. Action research is very useful for addressing our sustainability crisis [29] and exploring transformative processes that actively seek to question the way we produce and use knowledge in learning, education and research [29,30]. It is of the pragmatic philosophy that "knowledge is assessed by its practical consequences and not only by its explanatory power" [30] (p. 5).…”

Section: Aim and Scope Of The Workhopmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bradbury et al [30] highlight the importance of the collaborative nature of action research and its ability to enable social/organizational or community learning through a process of dialogue and scaffolding-helping learners learn together by linking experience with sense-making and reflection to action [31]. This action research project consists of two distinct strands, firstly to support Region Blekinge develop scenarios to inform future policy, and secondly to research this transdisciplinary process and better understand how to do this effectively and share those findings.…”

Section: Aim and Scope Of The Workhopmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘Rapid Scenario Planning’ to Support a Regional Sustainability Transformation Vision: A Case Study from Blekinge, Sweden

Thomson

Nikulina

et al. 2020

Sustainability

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This paper presents a case study of a transdisciplinary scenario planning workshop that was designed to link global challenges to local governance. The workshop was held to improve stakeholder integration and explore scenarios for a regional planning project (to 2050) in Blekinge, Sweden. Scenario planning and transdisciplinary practices are often disregarded by practitioners due to the perception of onerous resource requirements, however, this paper describes a ‘rapid scenario planning’ process that was designed to be agile and time-efficient, requiring the 43 participants from 13 stakeholder organizations to gather only for one day. The process was designed to create an environment whereby stakeholders could learn from, and with, each other and use their expert knowledge to inform the scenario process. The Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) was used to structure and focus the scenario planning exercise and its subsequent recommendations. The process was evaluated through a workshop participant survey and post-workshop evaluative interview with the regional government project manager to indicate the effectiveness of the approach. The paper closes with a summary of findings which will support those wishing to conduct similar rapid scenario planning exercises to inform policy planning for complex systems.

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Section: Aim and Scope Of The Workhopmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Aim and Scope Of The Workhopmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Rapid Scenario Planning’ to Support a Regional Sustainability Transformation Vision: A Case Study from Blekinge, Sweden

Thomson

Nikulina

et al. 2020

Sustainability

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“…In our case, the framework helped us, to a "good enough" extent, integrate different knowledge cultures (local, natural sciences, health sciences, social sciences, humanities) which led to the coproduction of the FLR guidebook in what we perceived to be a high level of collaborative effort and useful to all of us involved. Bradbury et al (2019) call upon fellow action researchers to "critically engage with the production of knowledge for sustainability through more action-oriented transformations research" (p. 4). We find that transdisciplinarity offers important insights into engaging with complex sustainability problems and integrating diverse knowledge systems.…”

Section: What Our Experiences Mean For Transdisciplinarity and Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward community food security through transdisciplinary action research

et al. 2019

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To solve the world's most complex problems, research is increasingly moving toward more transdisciplinary endeavors. While a lot of important work has explored the characteristics, challenges, opportunities, and operationalization of transdisciplinary research, much less is known about the circumstances that either facilitate or hinder the research process, particularly from the perspectives of graduate students who often participate in them. In this paper, we aim to address this gap by contributing our own experiences as a team of four graduate students and one community partner that

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“…PAR can be characterized as "an orientation to (scientific) inquiry that seeks to create participative communities of inquiry in which qualities of engagement, curiosity, and question are brought to bear on significant practical issues" [49] (p.1). PAR has been suggested as a route to overcoming knowledge problems by actively involving both researchers (with scientific knowledge) and stakeholders (with practice-based and contextual knowledge) in "relational, collaborative learning processes with experiments that provoke future learning" and the co-production of problem-focused, impact-oriented knowledge [50,51]. Within PAR, co-production is "not just about advancing scientific understanding or theory, but launches from the assumption that scientific knowledge combined with others' knowledge is itself a powerful agent of change" [52] (p.107).…”

Section: Action Research As a Theoretical And Practical Approach To Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

When the Bough Breaks: How Do Local Authorities in the UK Assess Risk and Prepare a Response to Ash Dieback?

Ambrose-Oji

Stokes

Jones

2019

Forests

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Ash dieback Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (T. Kowalski), is an alien fungal disease probably introduced to Europe from Asia that currently presents a significant threat to native ash (Fraxinus L. spp.). In the United Kingdom a large proportion of ash trees are found outside of woodlands. This means that a wide diversity of land owners and managers are stakeholders in the response to ash dieback. Local authorities (local government units) hold responsibility for managing ash trees along the highways and other public sites, with a focus on maintaining public health and safety. Developing local action plans (LAPs) for ash dieback is promoted by the government as way for local authorities to plan an effective strategic response at a landscape scale. However, risk assessment frameworks and the knowledge about ash dieback that is needed for quality decision-making at this level is still lacking. The scientific uncertainty around ash dieback progression, mortality rates, and the hazards presented by the trees at different stages of infection present knowledge problems. The research aims to (i) develop and evaluate an approach to addressing ash dieback suited to local authorities across the United Kingdom, and (ii) address the research gaps surrounding the local authority approaches to risk assessment and overcoming “knowledge problems.” Our hypothesis is that action research can be used to develop an effective risk assessment framework and knowledge tools that can improve decision-making. Our research questions in support of these objectives are: (i) How do local authorities perceive, assess, and plan for risks? (ii) What information and knowledge do local authorities need to assess and manage the specific risks of ash dieback? Lastly, (iii) what processes drive the local authorities toward preparing and implementing LAPs? Data collection occurred between 2015–2019 and included: deliberative co-production and validation workshops, two survey questionnaires, and evaluative semi-structured interviews (SSIs). Local authorities were shown to assess risk and proportionality of response to ash dieback through processes of deliberative social learning mixing opinion, scientific and practice-based knowledge to reach a consensus over the methods and knowledge that would be used in decision-making. Placing ash dieback on corporate risk registers that cut across the multiple departments dealing with the problem facilitated political approval, action planning, and budget allocation. Generating locally specific knowledge and finding the resources and personnel to drive forward strategic planning and implementation were key to landscape scale responses and ratifying LAPs. Collaborative action research working on ways of assessing, learning, and responding to tree pests and diseases offer an important approach to problem-solving and developing responses at the landscape scale.

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A call to Action Research for Transformations: The times demand it

Cited by 118 publications

References 2 publications

‘Rapid Scenario Planning’ to Support a Regional Sustainability Transformation Vision: A Case Study from Blekinge, Sweden

‘Rapid Scenario Planning’ to Support a Regional Sustainability Transformation Vision: A Case Study from Blekinge, Sweden

Toward community food security through transdisciplinary action research

When the Bough Breaks: How Do Local Authorities in the UK Assess Risk and Prepare a Response to Ash Dieback?

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