In today's scientific discourse, there is an increasing demand for scientists not only to communicate their findings in an understandable way, but also to actively contribute to societal change. In this context, action-oriented research approaches and scientific consultancy are becoming increasingly important. On the one hand, these approaches challenge traditional scientific methods and perceptions; on the other hand, they need to be distinguished from conventional consultancy. But how?
The project is being carried out jointly by the Design Impact Transition Platform, the Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (DRIFT) and the Intersectoral School of Governance Baden-Württemberg (ISoG BW) and addresses the following key questions:
Project Objectives:
Identifying New Roles and Functions:
The project investigates the various roles that emerge in the transdisciplinary spectrum between scientific research, consulting and action-oriented research. The goal is to describe these roles in relation to the field and understand their form and function within the scientific context.
Reflecting on the Benefits of Transdisciplinary Approaches:
The project reflects on the necessity of scientific consulting and transdisciplinary work to drive societal change.
Methodology:
The project employs creative approaches to collect qualitative data:
Case:
The data collection will take place at DRIFT, where staff members are already deeply engaged in activities along the transdisciplinary spectrum. Their extensive experience in this field provides a rich foundation for exploring and addressing the questions raised by this project.
Interviews and Creative Methods:
Going beyond a classical interview study, this project employs art-based research methods to delve deeper into the reflection on roles within this spectrum. These creative methods encourage participants to explore their roles from new perspectives. Participants are invited to express their experiences and reflections through artistic mediums such as drawing, collage, or other forms of visual art.
Through these methods, the research seeks to move beyond conventional narratives and tap into the experiential and emotional dimensions of the roles, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved in the transdisciplinary work of scientific consulting and action-oriented research.
Involved Partners:
- Dr. Julia Wittmayer, Associate Professor at ESSB & Senior Researcher at DRIFT, Erasmus University Rotterdam, j.m.wittmayer@drift.eur.nl
- Dr. Verena Schmid, Postdoctoral Researcher at Intersectoral School of Governance Baden-Württemberg (ISoG BW), verena.schmid@cas.dhbw.de
- Dr. Monika Gonser, Professor and Head of the Intersectoral School of Governance Baden-Württemberg (ISoG BW), monika.gonser@cas.dhbw.de
Announcement: Call for Paper!
We warmly invite you to submit an abstract for our workshop 'Consulting as Academic Practice - Exploring the Science-Society Interface'. The workshop is organised by the Intersectoral School of Governance Baden-Württemberg (ISoG BW, DHBW CAS) and the Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (DRIFT, Erasmus University) and will take place online and in English on 12 and 13 December.
In this workshop, we aim to delve deeper into the practice of academic consulting and explore together how it can be situated alongside forms of action-oriented, participatory and transdisciplinary research. We will examine – both empirically and theoretically – which forms academic consulting takes, the roles it plays, the functions it performs and what this means for science-society interfaces and relations.
Further information can be found in the Call for Paper