Success in Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research

Abstract

Abstract:The complexity of sustainable development and societal transitions require both analytical understandings of how coupled human-environment systems function and transdisciplinary science-to-practice approaches. The academic discourse has advanced in developing a framework for defining success in transdisciplinary research (TDR). Further empirical evidence is needed to validate the proposed concepts with TDR case studies. This paper applies a widely used TDR framework to test and critically evaluate its design principles and criteria of success with five TDR case studies the author is intimately familiar with. Overall, the design principles of the framework are validated for the five cases. Additional design principles are derived from the case analysis and proposed to complement the applied framework: (1) A project origin from society as opposed to with and for society; (2) Quickly available initiation funding; (3) Flexibility in time, objectives and methods throughout the research process; (4) Acceptance of process vs. project results; (5) Inclusion of public science communication; and (6) A demand-driven transition to a prolonged or new project partnership. The complementing principles are proposed for integration in the applied framework and are subject to further empirical testing. The reflexive empirical approach I have taken in this paper offers a key step towards removing institutional barriers for successful TDR, demonstrating how conceptual frameworks can be applied.

Testing Analytical Frameworks in Transdisciplinary Research for Sustainable Development

“…The latest literature proposes an extensive range of frameworks to analyze and facilitate implementation of transdisciplinary research and the practice of new forms of scientific reflection and effective problem solving [13,[56][57][58]. These proposals include frameworks with practice-oriented design principles for assessing successful or ideal transdisciplinary projects [11,14,54,59]; a framework of transdisciplinary outcome spaces proposing a back-casting guideline for the research design focusing on three desired outcomes (situation, knowledge, and learning) and concerned with the interface between research and practice [58]; a framework evaluating knowledge co-production in focal areas (inclusion, collaboration, integration, usability, and reflexibility) and research stages (formulate, generate, and evaluate) of transdisciplinary projects [2]; a framework for the comparative analysis of transdisciplinary research [60] and of transdisciplinary synthesis projects [51] according to knowledge type, type of actor, and level actor involvement at different stages. By focusing on the ties amongst stakeholders, the components of transdisciplinary research, and the interplays between them, such frameworks contribute to advancing the understanding of TD, to identifying the challenges in terms of knowledge integration and actors' involvement, and to expanding its use.…”

“…Increasing the scalability and the transferability of transdisciplinary research results and dealing with the insufficient recognition and legitimacy of its outcomes are additional difficulties [11,13]. Various proposals related to design principles [11,14], diverse integration methods [54,56], and evaluation criteria [11,14] have been developed to confront some of these challenges.…”

“…We collected data using a semi-structured interview (comprising multiple choice and open-ended questions) applied to academic and non-academic team members. The questions of the interview were based on an analytical framework with a set of design principles for ideal transdisciplinary research proposed by Lang et al [11] based on various strands of the literature on TD in sustainability science and then adapted by Luthe [14]. Lang et al [11] conceived the framework proposed as an ideal standard "to practically guide transdisciplinary research processes and facilitate effective and efficient research processes for all actors involved" (p. 35).…”

“…Lang et al [11] conceived the framework proposed as an ideal standard "to practically guide transdisciplinary research processes and facilitate effective and efficient research processes for all actors involved" (p. 35). Luthe [14] proposed six additional complementary design principles that surfaced when testing the applicability of the framework in the analysis of five projects.…”

“…Secondly, it contributes to the ongoing discussion on the added value of TD to research practice. The paper examines five projects conducted at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) based on evidence collected through semi-structured interviews with academic and non-academic team members using an adapted analytical framework with a set of design principles for ideal transdisciplinary research [11,14]. The study shows how the practice of TD depends on the context in which research is carried out, on the organizational structure established for its implementation, and on the specific way in which the expertise of both academic and non-academic actors is integrated.…”