Glossary

Citizen science means science with, for and by citizens. It actively involves people who otherwise do not formally cooperate with research institutions in a scientific research process. Citizens provide data for research and become part of the science system themselves (participation). At the same time, they learn about the principles of scientific work, which means that Citizen Science fulfils an educational mission.

Based on: Jaeger-Erben, M. (2022), in Schmohl, T. & Philipp, T., Handbuch Transdisziplinäre Didaktik. Bielefeld 2021

Co-creation means creating together. Scientists, together with other social actors (stakeholders), develop knowledge and problem solutions. The term co-production is sometimes used synonymously.

Based on: Ferse, S., Fujitani, M., Lahl, R. (2021), Planning and conducting co-design in collaborative marine research projects - a guidance. MeerWissen.; OECD (2020) Adressing Societal Challenges using Transdisciplinary Research. OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers. June 2020, No. 88

Co-design means designing together. Researchers and stakeholders jointly design a project so that the widest possible range of expertise and knowledge content can be used. The term co-creation is sometimes used synonymously.

Based on: Ferse, S., Fujitani, M., Lahl, R. (2021), Planning and conducting co-design in collaborative marine research projects - a guidance. MeerWissen.

Co-evaluation means joint evaluation. All participants jointly record and interpret the concrete results of the project. Possibilities for improvement are worked out, which can then be introduced into a new co-design phase, for example.

Based on: Wanner, M., Stelzer, F. (2019), Reallabore – Perspektiven für ein Forschungsformat im Aufwind; In: in brief – Wuppertaler Impulse zur Nachhaltigkeit, 07/2019

see Co-creation

A living lab is a geographically defined space for researchers and stakeholders to work together. Together, research questions are defined (co-design) and approaches to solutions are experimented with. In the process, new knowledge is created (co-creation).

Examples from the work of CeOS:

Living lab Eckernförde 2030

SpaCeParti

Based on:

Franke, A., Peters, K., Hinkel, J., Hornige, A., Schlüter, A., Zielinski, O., Wiltshire, K. H., Jacob, U., Krause, G., Hillebrand, H. (2021), Making the UN Ocean Decade work? The potential for, and challenges of, transdisciplinary research & real-world laboratories for building towards ocean solutions. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/6sfe8

Jahn, Th.; Keil, F.: Reallabore im Kontext transdisziplinärer Forschung (2016). In:  GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, Volume 25, Number 4, 2016, pp. 247-252 (6). Oekom Verlag; https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.25.4.6.

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, 25–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-011-0149-x

Rose, M.; Wanner, M., Hilger, A. (2018), Das Reallabor als Forschungsprozess und -infrastruktur für nachhaltige Entwicklung - Konzepte, Herausforderungen und Empfehlungen. NaWiKo Synthese Working Paper No 1 https://nachhaltigeswirtschaften-soef.de/synthese-reallabore

Schäpke, M. (2018) in: Rose, M., Wanner, M., Hilger, A. (2018), Das Reallabor als Forschungsprozess und -infrastruktur für nachhaltige Entwicklung - Konzepte, Herausforderungen und Empfehlungen. NaWiKo Synthese Working Paper No 1, S. 8.

Straßburger, G., Rieger, J. (Hrsg.) (2019), Partizipation kompakt – Für Studium, Lehre und Praxis sozialer Berufe. Beltz Juventa, Weinheim Basel, 2. Auflage 2019. Unger von, H. (2014), Partizipative Forschung – Einführung in die Forschungspraxis. Springer VS, Wiesbaden 2014.

Wanner, M., Stelzer, F. (2019), Reallabore – Perspektiven für ein Forschungsformat im Aufwind; In: in brief – Wuppertaler Impulse zur Nachhaltigkeit, 07/2019

Participatory research is an umbrella term for research approaches that involve social actors and are designed as partnerships. Central principles include individual and collective empowerment. Various gradations of participation are possible.

Based on: Straßburger, G., Rieger, J. (2019) Partizipation kompakt. Weinheim

Ukowitz, M. (2021), in Schmohl, T. & Philipp, T., Handbuch Transdisziplinäre Didaktik

Stakeholder refers to a person, group or organisation that has an interest in a particular matter. In transdisciplinary research, this refers primarily to stakeholders outside universities, for example from business, civil society (citizens, environmental groups, professional associations, ...), politics and administration (ministries, authorities, municipalities).

Based on: OECD (2020), Adressing Societal Challenges using Transdisciplinary Research. OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers. June 2020, No. 88

Trans-disciplinary means "beyond the disciplines". In transdisciplinary research, different academic disciplines work together (= interdisciplinary) and involve actors outside the university in the research.

Figure: Relationship between the terms disciplinary, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary © CeOS/Grünhagen et al., 2022

Based on:

Defila, R., Di Giulio, A. (Hrsg.), Transdisziplinär und transformativ forschen. Eine Methodensammlung. Wiesbaden 2018

Grünhagen, C., Schwermer, H., Wagner-Ahlfs, C., Voss, R., Gross, F., & Riekhof, M. C. (2022). The multifaceted picture of transdisciplinarity in marine research. In Transdisciplinary Marine Research. Taylor & Francis. Chapter 1, S.3-26. doi:10.4324/9781003311171-2

OECD (2020), Adressing societal challenges using transdisciplinary research. OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers No. 88. June 2020

Pohl, C., Truffer, B., & Hirsch-Hadorn, G. (2017), Addressing Wicked Problems through Transdisciplinary Research. In: Robert Frodeman (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity. 2nd Ed. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.14512/9783962388621

Vilsmaier, U.: Transdisziplinarität (2021), in Schmohl, T. & Philipp, T., Handbuch Transdisziplinäre Didaktik. Bielefeld 2021

Transformative research actively participates in social change. The aim is to transform society and the economy towards a sustainable way of life. The concept of transformative research is associated with a discourse in the theory of science on the relationship between science and society. In transformative research, social responsibility is attributed to both researchers as individuals and to universities as institutions.

Based on: Singer-Brodowski, M., Holst, J., Goller, A. (2021), in Schmohl, T. & Philipp, T., Handbuch Transdisziplinäre Didaktik. Bielefeld 2021; Wissenschaftlicher Beirat der Bundesregierung Globale Umweltveränderungen (WBGU): Welt im Wandel. Gesellschaftsvertrag für eine Große Transformation. Hauptgutachten. Berlin 2011