Transdisciplinary research: towards an integrative perspective

Abstract

Since the emergence of transdisciplinary research, context dependencies, innovative formats and methods, societal effects, and scientific effects are key aspects that have been discussed at length. However, what is still missing is an integrative perspective on these four aspects, and the guidance on how to apply such an integrative perspective in order to realize the full transformative potential of transdisciplinary research. We provide an overview of each aspect and highlight relevant research questions that need to be answered to advance transdisciplinary research.

Transformative research for sustainability: characteristics, tensions, and moving forward

“…We also acknowledge notable examples of studies seeking to conceptualize and organize academic experiences and reflections with research that is intentionally transformative drawing on the sustainability transitions research community (Hölscher et al, 2021; Kump et al, 2023; Wittmayer et al, 2021). Similar discourses on the outlined characteristics of transformative research together with the challenges they bring are also happening within other communities of engaged research such as knowledge co-production (Norström et al, 2020), action research (Caniglia et al, 2021; Fazey et al, 2018), or the transdisciplinary sustainability science community (Lam et al, 2021; Spiering & Barrera, 2021). Notably, there is a large overlap between transformative research, as described in this paper, and other forms of interventional engaged research (e.g.…”

“…In recent years, publications that argue for or apply a transformative approach have gained unprecedented momentum (e.g. Colloff et al, 2017; Hölscher et al, 2021; Lam et al, 2021).…”

Leveraging capacity for transformative sustainability science: a theory of change from the Future Earth Pathways Initiative

“…Transformative research aims to bridge the gap between informed analyses of complex social-environmental issues and the development and implementation of alternative narratives and trajectories toward just and more desirable futures. Because of its focus on social dynamics and power relations, transformative research is highly context-dependent and approaches must therefore be adapted to specific cases through iterative and reflexive processes (Lam et al, 2021;Wittmayer et al, 2021). The exploratory and experimental qualities of these processes mean that several concepts, tools, and methods are often combined (Midgley, 2011).…”

“…In turn, the hybridization and adaptation of existing concepts and methods, paired with the specificities of each project, make transformative approaches difficult to generalize or transfer (Bennett et al, 2021; Nagy et al, 2020). Additionally, there is a lack of understanding on the extent and the mechanisms through which different approaches contribute to social transformations (Lam et al, 2021; Schneider et al, 2019b).…”

Ways towards Transformation—Conceptual Approaches and Challenges

“…"Transition research" [17] is another term which has been used to describe the characteristic features of scientific contributions to the transformation of society and the economy towards sustainability by analyzing and inducing targeted innovation processes. Nowadays, concepts of transdisciplinary research describe a form of cooperation between several scientific disciplines on problems that are not only "interdisciplinary" but transdisciplinary, in the sense of being practical or political, and involving non-scientific actors in defining research questions and contributing with their practical knowledge to the research process [18][19][20]. This is due to and connected with a trans-scientific objective or task of the related type of research.…”