Transforming science and society? Methodological lessons from and for transformation research

IF 2.9 4区 管理学 Q1 INFORMATION SCIENCE & LIBRARY SCIENCE
K. Hölscher, Julia M. Wittmayer, M. Hirschnitz-Garbers, A. Olfert, Jörg Walther, G. Schiller, Benjamin Brunnow
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引用次数: 25

Abstract

Transformation research has in the past years emerged as a shared lens to study and support radical societal change towards sustainability. Given the nascent and exploratory—yet highly normative and ambitious—character of transformation research, we aim to enhance the understanding of transformation research: when do research designs qualify as transformation research, what is needed for putting transformation research into practice, and what are results? To this end, we develop a framework that identifies criteria for designing and reflecting on research results, design and processes as transformation research. We employ this framework to reflect on our work in a research project that was designed in the spirit of transformation research: The TRAFIS (Transformations towards resource-conserving and climate-resilient coupled infrastructures) project sought to understand and support the development of innovative coupled infrastructures to mobilize their critical role in achieving sustainability transformations. Our results yield lessons and recommendations about what transformation research looks like in practice and how it can be strengthened, focussing on 1, redefining and re-valuing research for societal impact; 2, redesigning research to integrate perspectives on radical societal change; and 3, re-equipping researchers and research partners for social learning. We conclude that while transformation research already contributes to framing and generating knowledge about real-world sustainability challenges, its transformative impact is still limited. Practicing transformation research requires far-reaching changes in the science system, but also continuous reflection about legitimacy, power relations, and impacts.
改变科学和社会?转型研究的方法论经验教训
在过去的几年里,转型研究已经成为一个共同的视角,用来研究和支持社会向可持续发展的根本变革。鉴于转化研究的新生性和探索性,但又具有高度规范性和雄心,我们旨在增强对转化研究的理解:研究设计何时符合转化研究的资格,将转化研究付诸实践需要什么,结果是什么?为此,我们制定了一个框架,确定了设计和反思研究结果、设计和过程的标准,作为转化研究。我们利用这个框架来反思我们在一个研究项目中的工作,该项目是本着转型研究的精神设计的:TRAFIS(向资源节约和气候适应性耦合基础设施转型)项目旨在理解和支持创新耦合基础设施的发展,以调动其在实现可持续性方面的关键作用转型。我们的研究结果提供了关于转型研究在实践中的样子以及如何加强转型研究的经验教训和建议,重点是1,重新定义和评估社会影响研究;2,重新设计研究,以整合对激进社会变革的观点;以及3,重新装备研究人员和研究伙伴进行社会学习。我们得出的结论是,尽管转型研究已经有助于构建和生成关于现实世界可持续性挑战的知识,但其变革影响仍然有限。实践转化研究需要对科学体系进行深远的变革,但也需要对合法性、权力关系和影响进行持续反思。
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来源期刊
Research Evaluation
Research Evaluation INFORMATION SCIENCE & LIBRARY SCIENCE-
CiteScore
6.00
自引率
18.20%
发文量
42
期刊介绍: Research Evaluation is a peer-reviewed, international journal. It ranges from the individual research project up to inter-country comparisons of research performance. Research projects, researchers, research centres, and the types of research output are all relevant. It includes public and private sectors, natural and social sciences. The term "evaluation" applies to all stages from priorities and proposals, through the monitoring of on-going projects and programmes, to the use of the results of research.
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