Methods for Transdisciplinary Research
A Primer for Practice
1st Edition
Published on 16. August 2012
Book
Paperback/Softback
294 pages
978-3-593-39647-7 (ISBN)
Description
Die transdisziplinäre Forschung bearbeitet komplexe gesellschaftliche Probleme, indem sie Wissen und Methoden aus verschiedenen Fächern verknüpft und die Expertise von Praxisakteuren miteinbezieht. Die Autoren beschreiben systematisch wissenschaftliche Methoden für die Wissensintegration und geben Beispiele aus der Forschungspraxis.
Transdisciplinarity is an approach for research on the complex real-world problems our societies are facing. During the research process new knowledge is produced by integrating different problem perceptions and knowledge bases from sciences and societal practice; the aim is to contribute to both societal and scientific progress.
The authors systematically describe scholarly methods for the task of knowledge integration in transdisciplinary research and provide examples from research practice. This book supports scholars in the conceptualization and execution of transdisciplinary research projects and is of high relevance for teaching.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Weinheim
Germany
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Klappenbroschur
Illustrations
24 Abbildungen, 3 Graphiken
24 Abbildungen, 3 Tabellen
Dimensions
Height: 21.4 cm
Width: 14.3 cm
Thickness: 2 cm
Weight
370 gr
ISBN-13
978-3-593-39647-7 (9783593396477)
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Matthias Bergmann | Thomas Jahn | Tobias Knobloch
Methods for Transdisciplinary Research
A Primer for Practice
E-Book
08/2012
1st Edition
Campus
€41.99
Available for download
Persons
Matthias Bergmann, Dr. Ing., und Engelbert Schramm, Dr. rer. nat., sind wiss. Mitarbeiter am Institut für sozial-ökologische Forschung (ISOE) in Frankfurt. Dr. Thomas Jahn ist Mitgründer und Leiter des ISOE. Tobias Knobloch, Dr. phil., arbeitet als politischer Referent für die Bundesregierung in Berlin. Wolfgang Krohn ist Prof. em. für Wissenschafts- und Technikforschung an der Universität Bielefeld. Dr. Christian Pohl ist Co-Leiter des transdisciplinarity-net der Akademien der Wissenschaften Schweiz und Dozent an der ETH Zürich.
Content
Contents
Preface to the English edition 9
Julie Thompson Klein
Foreword to the English edition 11
Matthias Bergmann
Introduction to the 2010 German edition 13
Matthias Bergmann
Structure of the book and how to use it 17
How to use the method collection and examples 19
Chapter I: The integrative approach in transdisciplinary research 22
Chapter II: Integration methods-An overview of individual methods for transdisciplinary research practice 50
II.A Integration through conceptual clarification and theoretical framing 53
A.1 Integration through interdisciplinary conceptual work 57
A.2 Integration through theoretical framing 65
II.B Integration through research questions and hypothesis formulation 73
B.1 Integration through joint formulation of relevant research questions 74
B.2 Integration through the formulation of hypotheses 76
II.C Screening, using, refining, and further developing effective integrative scientific methods 79
C.1 Integration through screening existing (inter)disciplinary methods and identifying methodical needs 80
C.2 Integration through interdisciplinary development of methods 82
C.3 Integration through adopting established transdisciplinary methods 85
II.D Integrative assessment procedures 89
II.E Integration through the development and application of models 95
II.F Integration through artifacts, services and products as boundary objects 105
F.1 Integration through artifacts, services and products 106
F.2 Integration through publications 112
II.G Integrative procedures and instruments of research organization 115
G.1 Integration through the formation of interdisciplinary teams 115
G.2 Integration through stakeholder involvement and participation 124
G.3 Integration through iteration/recursiveness 129
G.4 Integration through key question procedure at end of project 132
Chapter III: Integration strategies-Examples of comprehensive concepts in research practice 136
III.A Preliminary remark 136
III.B Example 1: Strategies for a sustainable urban mobility-Integration through interdisciplinary method development 137
B.1 Framework conditions and project's research goal 137
B.2 Research strategy and integration methods 139
B.3 Project brief 150
III.C Example 2: Demography and supply systems-Integration through theoretical work and model development 152
C.1 Framework conditions and project's research goal 152
C.2 Research strategy and integration methods 154
C.3 Project brief 169
III.D Example 2: Decline of fish populations-Integration through formulation of hypotheses with stakeholder participation 172
D.1 Framework conditions and project's research goal 172
D.2 Research strategy and integration methods 173
D.3 Project brief 181
III.E Example 4: A reconception of grazingland management-Integration through inclusion of everyday action 183
E.1 Framework conditions and project's research goal 183
E.2 Research strategy and integration methods 184
E.3 Project brief 190
III.F Example 5: Adapted health services for nomadic pastoralists-Integration through the inclusion of a target group 192
F.1 Framework conditions and project's research goal 192
F.2 Research strategy and integration methods 193
F.3 Project brief 199
III.G Example 6: Sustainable housing renovation-Integration through including practice partners and through product orientation 202
G.1 Framework conditions and project's research goal 202
G.2 Research strategy and integration methods 203
G.3 Project brief 209
III.H Example 7: Sustainability and urban design-Integration through cross-disciplinary categorial systems and iterative forms of work 211
H.1 Framework conditions and project's research goal 211
H.2 Research strategy and integration methods 213
H.3 Project brief 219
III.I Example 8: Water demand forecast for Hamburg-Integration through continual design of the research process and operationalization of the product 220
I.1 Framework conditions and project's research goal 220
I.2 Research strategy and integration methods 222
I.3 Project brief 228
III.J Example 9: Situated human-machine communication-Integration through the development of an artifact 229
J.1 Framework conditions and project's research goal 229
J.2 Research strategy and integration methods 232
J.3 Project brief 242
III.K Example 10: Nature conservation and agricultural production-Integration through the elaboration of guiding principles 245
K.1 Framework conditions and project's research goal 245
K.2 Research strategy and integration methods 246
K.3 Project brief 251
III.L Example 11: Evaluation of transdisciplinary research-Integration through joint learning in an iterative process 253
L.1 Framework conditions and project's research goal 253
L.2 Research strategy and integration methods 254
L.3 Project brief 260
Chapter IV: Integration supportive aspects of the management of transdisciplinary research processes and groups 262
IV.A Management strategies for an integrated project process 263
IV.B Integration planning, problem description, research questions and research objectives 266
IV.C Coordination, communication and learning processes 269
IV.D Quality management, criteria and products 274
Chapter V: Further instructions for use 276
V.A Project phase reference of the integration methods and instruments 277
V.B Functional order of integration methods 278
V.C Classification of integration strategies of the projects according to integration types 281
V.D Overview of integration methods and integration strategies 282
D.1 Integration methods and instruments in Chapter II 282
D.2 Model projects and their integration strategies in Chapter III 284
Chapter VI: References 286
About the authors 290
Index 292
The logical structure of each chapter of the book, as well as that of the book as a whole, is motivated by one central purpose: to support researchers as directly as possible in carrying out their transdisciplinary research. To this end we have made the following assumptions, based on our own experience carrying out transdisciplinary research.
When describing the integration methods and instruments collected and analyzed in this book we have kept two things in mind with the hope of making the book as useful as possible for dealing with integration issues. First, the methods are described in such a manner that they can be used by different transdisciplinary research projects dealing with different problem fields and drawing on different constellations of scientific fields; that is, they have a context-independent, general value. Second, it is equally important not to lose sight of the context-dependence of transdisciplinary research because what one can learn from the individual examples-that is, from the application of the methods in specific research projects with their individual problem contexts and the constellation of scientific fields-can be of great benefit for research practice as well (cf. Krohn 2008).
In addition, the first way of describing the methods-as context independent-fulfills the purpose of giving, from an epistemological point of view, a structured overview of useful integration methods. Here a position within the philosophy of science is being assumed, one which takes a stand on which specific approaches to the generation of knowledge are appropriate to transdisciplinary research.
Therefore, we have chosen to give the readers of this book, in the central Chapters II and III, first the decontextualized, then the contextualized descriptions of the integration methods and integration strategies.
In Chapter II, the integration instruments and methods that we have identified in concrete transdisciplinary model projects are detached from their projects and described independently of both their concrete research contexts and the given constellation of scientific fields. At the end of the description of each of these integration methods the reader will find a reference to the specific research project from which this method either originated or which project used it in an exemplary way.
In Chapter III, there follows a description of those research projects whose integration methods were evaluated. To be sure, the research project is not described here in its entirety; instead, the description concentrates on the "integration history" of each project, so that the reader will, with a focus on a description of the integration tasks involved, be able to understand these tasks, and, also, the research design and the research process. By describing the integration instruments contextually one can highlight the integrative processes of particular importance for the transdisciplinary research process. Following up on the abstract description of the methods presented in Chapter II the reader is in a position in Chapter III to see the concrete ways in which the methods are used. The description of each project and its respective research strategy also makes it possible to recognize whether the integration method in question "works well" by itself or whether it promises more success for an integrative research project when used in conjunction with other methods. At the end of each project description there is a "fact sheet" that provides further information, for example, concerning project-related literature. The publications most important for the project are listed first.