Ways forward in transdisciplinary research: Insights from case studies on marine and coastal conflict transformations
Transdisciplinary research has been put forward as a means to foster a radical shift in traditional scientific paradigms by promoting knowledge democracy while tackling wicked problems. This paper analyses how local social-ecological dynamics and institutional realities affect the way in which trans...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Sustainable Futures |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266618882500334X |
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| author | Mello NGR Christie P Prado DS Martins IM Saunders F Tafon R Gilek M Sowman M Sander G Dukes F P Jacobi Pierro B Christofoletti RA |
| author_facet | Mello NGR Christie P Prado DS Martins IM Saunders F Tafon R Gilek M Sowman M Sander G Dukes F P Jacobi Pierro B Christofoletti RA |
| author_sort | Mello NGR |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Transdisciplinary research has been put forward as a means to foster a radical shift in traditional scientific paradigms by promoting knowledge democracy while tackling wicked problems. This paper analyses how local social-ecological dynamics and institutional realities affect the way in which transdisciplinary research generates knowledge and develops sustainability pathways in diverse marine and coastal conflict contexts. Drawing on a cross-case analysis from a multicountry Belmont Forum project, namely OceansPact, this research analyzes key lessons on transdisciplinary practice. This analysis is informed by online surveys, semi-structured interviews with scholars and focus group discussions with non-academic stakeholders involved in the OceansPact. The paper demonstrates that transdisciplinary approaches can foster conflict transformation. Nonetheless, the results highlight that context-specific factors, including trust-building strategies and institutional cultures, significantly shape the processes of knowledge co-production and linking knowledge to transformative action. This study hence emphasize the need of flexible approaches, instead of standardized frameworks, that accommodate these diverse contexts and power dynamics, warning against reductionist approaches that oversimplify complexity. Emphasizing the political nature of transdisciplinarity, this paper calls for mechanisms that mitigate power asymmetries in transdisciplinary spaces. This paper moreover underscores the urgent need of systemic changes in academic institutions to support long-term, equitable collaboration between scholars and non-academic stakeholders, as well as of a shared understanding of transdisciplinary research so that this model can drive positive transformation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ace2f43c602443b887d79dee5be25927 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-1888 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sustainable Futures |
| spelling | doaj-art-ace2f43c602443b887d79dee5be259272025-08-20T03:31:20ZengElsevierSustainable Futures2666-18882025-06-01910076810.1016/j.sftr.2025.100768Ways forward in transdisciplinary research: Insights from case studies on marine and coastal conflict transformationsMello NGR0Christie P1Prado DS2Martins IM3Saunders F4Tafon R5Gilek M6Sowman M7Sander G8Dukes F9P Jacobi10Pierro B11Christofoletti RA12Institute of Marine Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo (IMar/UNIFESP), Santos, SP, Brazil; Corresponding author at: Institute of Marine Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo (IMar/UNIFESP), Rua Dr. Carvalho de Mendonça 144, Santos, SP 11070-100, Brazil.School of Marine and Environmental Affairs and Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USAInstitute of Marine Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo (IMar/UNIFESP), Santos, SP, BrazilInstitute of Marine Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo (IMar/UNIFESP), Santos, SP, BrazilSchool of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, SwedenSchool of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, SwedenSchool of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, SwedenDepartment of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South AfricaNorwegian Institute for Water Research, Tromsø, NorwayInstitute for Environmental Negotiation at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USAInstitute of Energy and Environment, Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilInstitute of Energy and Environment, Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilInstitute of Marine Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo (IMar/UNIFESP), Santos, SP, BrazilTransdisciplinary research has been put forward as a means to foster a radical shift in traditional scientific paradigms by promoting knowledge democracy while tackling wicked problems. This paper analyses how local social-ecological dynamics and institutional realities affect the way in which transdisciplinary research generates knowledge and develops sustainability pathways in diverse marine and coastal conflict contexts. Drawing on a cross-case analysis from a multicountry Belmont Forum project, namely OceansPact, this research analyzes key lessons on transdisciplinary practice. This analysis is informed by online surveys, semi-structured interviews with scholars and focus group discussions with non-academic stakeholders involved in the OceansPact. The paper demonstrates that transdisciplinary approaches can foster conflict transformation. Nonetheless, the results highlight that context-specific factors, including trust-building strategies and institutional cultures, significantly shape the processes of knowledge co-production and linking knowledge to transformative action. This study hence emphasize the need of flexible approaches, instead of standardized frameworks, that accommodate these diverse contexts and power dynamics, warning against reductionist approaches that oversimplify complexity. Emphasizing the political nature of transdisciplinarity, this paper calls for mechanisms that mitigate power asymmetries in transdisciplinary spaces. This paper moreover underscores the urgent need of systemic changes in academic institutions to support long-term, equitable collaboration between scholars and non-academic stakeholders, as well as of a shared understanding of transdisciplinary research so that this model can drive positive transformation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266618882500334XTransdisciplinary researchKnowledge co-productionKnowledge-to-actionConflict transformation |
| spellingShingle | Mello NGR Christie P Prado DS Martins IM Saunders F Tafon R Gilek M Sowman M Sander G Dukes F P Jacobi Pierro B Christofoletti RA Ways forward in transdisciplinary research: Insights from case studies on marine and coastal conflict transformations Sustainable Futures Transdisciplinary research Knowledge co-production Knowledge-to-action Conflict transformation |
| title | Ways forward in transdisciplinary research: Insights from case studies on marine and coastal conflict transformations |
| title_full | Ways forward in transdisciplinary research: Insights from case studies on marine and coastal conflict transformations |
| title_fullStr | Ways forward in transdisciplinary research: Insights from case studies on marine and coastal conflict transformations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ways forward in transdisciplinary research: Insights from case studies on marine and coastal conflict transformations |
| title_short | Ways forward in transdisciplinary research: Insights from case studies on marine and coastal conflict transformations |
| title_sort | ways forward in transdisciplinary research insights from case studies on marine and coastal conflict transformations |
| topic | Transdisciplinary research Knowledge co-production Knowledge-to-action Conflict transformation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266618882500334X |
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