Fostering reflective impact orientation in transdisciplinary research-A multi-method workshop format

Area of Science:

• Transdisciplinary Research (TDR)
• Societal Impact
• Knowledge Integration

Background:

• Transdisciplinary research (TDR) aims to solve complex real-world problems by integrating diverse knowledge.
• A key challenge in TDR is maintaining a consistent focus on societal impact due to a lack of adequate tools.
• Existing methodologies often struggle to bridge the gap between research activities and tangible societal effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a workshop format designed to strengthen impact-oriented project management in TDR.
• To assess the effectiveness of a reflective impact workshop in enhancing societal impact orientation within TDR projects.
• To provide a practical tool for TDR projects to systematically pursue and monitor societal effects.

Main Methods:

• A half-day reflective impact workshop was developed and delivered to seven TDR projects.
• The workshop utilized a Theory of Change framework to guide participants' reflection on impact pathways.
• Participants included both scientific and non-scientific members of the TDR project teams.

Main Results:

• The reflective workshops successfully supported participants in systematically pursuing societal effects.
• The methodological approach fostered key TDR process qualities, including enhanced knowledge integration.
• Participants gained clarity on impact pathways and made implicit assumptions about societal effects explicit.

Conclusions:

• The developed workshop format is an effective tool for strengthening impact orientation in TDR projects.
• The approach enables TDR projects to better monitor and adapt their designs for increased societal effectiveness.
• Integrating reflective practices and Theory of Change can improve the societal relevance and outcomes of TDR.