2024/01/18 by Stigendal, Mikael, Novy, Andreas
paper · doi:10.57938/a2b66fd9-709e-4480-8011-2c36a281cd18
This article explores the implications of founding transdisciplinary collaborations <br/>of knowledge production in critical realism. We call such equal partnerships of <br/>researchers and practitioners knowledge alliances. Using the distinction between <br/>the referents that we refer to (what our research is about) and our references (our <br/>research about that), we show that practitioners can contribute to the process of <br/>knowledge production by providing access to referents and producing references <br/>but also by achieving relevance. Researchers and practitioners bring different types <br/>of knowledge. To become excellent, knowledge production should be organized in <br/>ways, which engage these different types in a constructive interplay. We call this <br/>approach potential-oriented, which we put in contrast to the empiricism of <br/>evidence-based research and policy-making. Our deliberate choice of the term <br/>potential-oriented reflects the shifts in philosophy suggested by critical realism, <br/>but also a sensitivity for how practitioners communicate and express themselves.