FAQ – Seven Questions about td research
Td research is an interdisciplinary approach to scientific inquiry that deals with complex*, real-world problems and which places an emphasis on joint problem framing** between people inside and outside of academia with the aim of developing possible solutions. Building reflexive collaboration processes, where researchers can react adaptively to changes in the real-world while working with project partners, is central to the td approach. In our lab, we focus this approach on issues related to sustainable development.
Td research can be distinguished by: 1) the type of knowledge produced (e.g., implementation-oriented, indigenous, or context-dependent knowledge), 2) the process of knowledge production (e.g., joint problem framing, integration of disciplinary views, inclusion of participants in the process), and 3) the mindset and attitudes of researchers carrying out the work (e.g. flexibility and openness in uncertain environments, empathy and reflexivity). A td research project usually takes on a combination of elements belonging to each of these categories.
* Complexity – A complex or ill-defined problem is a problem that has: 1) an unclear goal definition, 2) unclear goal states, where it is possible that there is no “right” solution at all, 3) unclear means by which to arrive at the goal state and 4) unclear criteria by which to judge whether the goal state has been reached (Rittel and Hortel 1973, Dörner 2017).
** We define joint problem framing (JPF) as a process by which a group with diverging interests, backgrounds and world views comes together in order to make explicit the particular aspect of a complex, real-world problems they would like to solve and to clarify the goal definition, in the context of a research project, where both scientific and practical needs exist. The integration of knowledge and values from different scientific and societal perspectives are needed during the process of problem framing.
No, a td researcher is characterized by certain mind sets, attitudes and motivations, rather than the discipline in which he or she was trained. For example, being reflective and aware of the process and having an openness towards working across disciplines. Additionally, a td researcher is interested in how scientific approaches and knowledge can used to respond to real-world problems.
For detailed discussions of attitudes, skills and characteristics of transdisciplinarians, please see:
- Cordell, D., Smith, T., & Fam, D. (2017). Transdisciplinary research and practice for sustainable outcomes: introduction. In: Fam, D., Palmer, J., Riedy, C., & Mitchell, C. (Eds), Transdisciplinary research and practice for sustainability outcomes. Routledge Studies in Sustainability. Taylor & Francis (Routledge), Oxford, UK, pp. 101-116. ISBN external page9781138119703call_made
- Stokols, D. (2014). Training the next generation of transdisciplinarians. In: O’Rourke, M. O., Crowley, S., Eigenbrode, S. D., & Wulfhorst, J. D. (Eds), Enhancing communication & collaboration in interdisciplinary research. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN external page9781452255668call_made
There is no single distinctive td methodology. A combination of methods and approaches are used to respond to the complex problems in td research. Working with people from inside as well as outside of academia, it is important for td methods to be able to integrate different viewpoints and theoretical bases and transcend disciplinary boundaries. A td researcher needs to be aware of the influence of the context in the choice of methods as well. The methods used need to be adaptive to specific conditions which lead to iterative processes. Guiding the choice of theoretical approach and methods is reflexivity on the researcher’s part– to be aware of various factors influencing the problem and context in question.
For detailed discussions of td methodologies, please see:
- Wickson, F., Carew, A. L., & Russell, A. W. (2006). Transdisciplinary research: characteristics, quandaries and quality. Futures, 38(9), 1046–1059. doi: external page10.1016/j.futures.2006.02.011call_made
- Mobjörk, M. (2010). Consulting versus participatory transdisciplinarity: A refined classification of transdisciplinary research. Futures, 42(8), 866–873. doi: external page10.1016/j.futures.2010.03.003call_made
Here is a list of tools that are used frequently by researchers at TdLab:
In our view, td research is a subset of participatory research that is interdisciplinary, includes a joint problem framing phase, and with knowledge production as one of the main aims. Approaches like citizen science, community-based participatory research and action research are other examples of participatory research. One distinction between these approaches might be their ultimate objectives. For the case of citizen science and td research, for example, it is to collaboratively create new knowledge. For community-based participatory research and action research, the aim may be the transformation of the status quo.
For more literature on the distinction between consultants and td researchers, please see:
- Penker, M. & Muhar, A. (2015). What’s Actually New About Transdisciplinarity? How Scholars from Applied Studies Can Benefit from Cross-disciplinary Learning Processes on Transdisciplinarity. In: Gibbs, P. (Ed.), Transdisciplinary professional learning and practice. Springer. doi: external page10.1007/978-3-319-11590-0_10call_made
Environmental decision-making necessarily involves working with complex, real-world problems. Under complex conditions, there are no clear problem definitions, large amounts of information have to be processed, and uncertainties are unbounded. Tackling environmental problems, then, require a different mode of knowledge inquiry and production than the one used for tackling scientific puzzles, where the problem definition is clear, the data is structured, and the uncertainties known. Transdisciplinary research provides one perspective for how to engage with a lack of clear problem definition, processing unstructured information, and engaging with unknowns in a productive way through developing methods in joint problem framing, by emphasizing the need for researchers and stakeholders to engage in reflexivity and by recognizing the need to integrate different types of knowledge to engage with unknowns.
An overview of methods and case studies
- Hadorn, G. H. and Pohl, C. (2008). Handbook of Transdisciplinary Research, Springer, Dordrecht. doi: external page10.1007/978-1-4020-6699-3call_made
A definition of the transdisciplinary research process
- Lang, D. J., Wiek, A., Bergmann, M., Stauffacher, M., Martens, P., Moll, P., Swilling, M., & Thomas, C. J. (2012). Transdisciplinary research in sustainability science: practice, principles, and challenges. Sustainability Science, 7(S1), 25–43. doi: external page10.1007/s11625-011-0149-xcall_made
An explanation of the td case study approach
- Stauffacher, M., Walter, A. I., Lang, D. J., Wiek, A., & Scholz, R. W. (2006). Learning to research environmental problems from a functional socio-cultural constructivism perspective: The transdisciplinary case study approach. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 7(3), 252–275. doi: external page10.1108/14676370610677838call_made
A introduction to transdisciplinary learning
- Pearce, B., Adler, C., Senn, L., Krütli, P., Stauffacher, M., Pohl, C. (2018). Making the link between transdisciplinary learning and research. In: Fam, D., Neuhauser, L., Gibbs, P. (Eds), The art of collaborative research and collective learning: Transdisciplinary theory, practice & education, Springer. doi: external page10.1007/978-3-319-93743-4call_made
An approach for integrating scientific and real world problems for PhD students
- Pohl, C., Krütli, P., & Stauffacher, M. (2017). Ten Reflective Steps for Rendering Research Societally Relevant. GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 26(1), 43–51. doi: external page10.14512/gaia.26.1.10call_made