Co-production of scientific understanding – Do we do it? Should we do more?

LTER Science Council14 May 2015

Charley Driscoll, Steve Hamilton, Merryl AlberNik Heynen, Kathy Lambert

What is co-production?• Technical experts and other groups in society

work together to generate new knowledge (Wikipedia)

• Not simply outreach – takes place from start to finish of research

• Potential benefits:– Insights beyond our measurements– Historical context– Increases public participation and acceptance of

findings

Do we do co-production? Apparently! (not a complete list)

• Everglades restoration plan (FCE)• Phosphorus and lake eutrophication (NTL)• Adapting to sea level rise (GCE, PIE, VCR)• Climate change and community response (CWT)• Climate change and indigenous communities (BNZ)• Forest stewardship now and into the future (HFR)• Agriculture and ecosystem services (KBS)• Willamette River watershed management (AND)

Considerations

• More valuable for some lines of investigation than others

• Working with stakeholders requires time and patience and communication skills– Not every scientist will be good at this…

• Our scientific culture can be an impediment – we are accustomed to being the (only) experts!

• Political perils may arise• How do we assess success? How do we get

recognized for the effort?

Could we do it more and better? Certainly!

• ASM workshop could showcase successful co-production within and perhaps outside LTER– Nik Heynen can lead it since he left early

• Co-production may stimulate new collaborative work with social scientists

• If we interface more with arts and humanities, would that be a new form of co-production?