Transdisciplinary Methods for Developing Nexus Capabilities

Workshop29 and 30 June 2015University of Sussex

#transdisciplinarymethodswww.thenexusnetwork.org

Wifi: ‘Conferences’Password: ‘state his solid powder’

Developing ‘Nexus Capabilities’:

towards transdisciplinary methodologies

Andy Stirling

SPRU & STEPS Centre

University of Sussex

presentation to Nexus Network workshop on

Transdisciplinary Methods for Developing Nexus Capabilities’

University of Sussex, 29th June 2015

www.steps-centre.org/

www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/

www.multicriteriamapping.com

www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/people/peoplelists/person/7513

Review of >100

different kinds of

‘Nexus-related

method’

Background Approach

- relations & practices: analytic / interactive

- epistemic cultures: quantitative / hybrid / qualitative

- styles of reasoning: deductive / inductive / abductive

- procedural functions: frameworks / techniques / tools

Energy regulation: most mature, sophisticated comparative analysis…

Concealed Ambiguity in Nexus-Related Methods

0.001 0.1 10 1000

externality’: cUS/kWh (after Sundqvist et al, 2005)low RISK high

coal

oil

gas

nuclear

hydro

wind

solar

biomass

Energy regulation: most mature, sophisticated comparative analysis…

Concealed Ambiguity in Nexus-Related Methods

0.001 0.1 10 1000

coal

oil

gas

nuclear

hydro

21

wind

solar

biomass

n =

‘externality’: cUS/kWh (after Sundqvist et al, 2005)

minimum maximum25% 75%

low RISK high

Energy regulation: most mature, sophisticated comparative analysis…

Concealed Ambiguity in Nexus-Related Methods

coal

oil

gas

nuclear

hydro

36

20

wind 18

solar 11

biomass 22

31

21

16

n =

…‘sound science’, ‘evidence based’ Nexus analyses justify many policies

Energy regulation: most mature, sophisticated comparative analysis…

Concealed Ambiguity in Nexus-Related Methods

under-determined realities

Framing ‘the Nexus’

‘system’‘focus’

under-determined realities

Framing ‘the Nexus’picture of ‘the Nexus’

‘scope’

‘system’‘focus’

under-determined realities

Framing ‘the Nexus’picture of ‘the Nexus’

‘scope’

‘system’‘focus’

‘cause’

‘effect’

under-determined realities

Framing ‘the Nexus’picture of ‘the Nexus’

environment‘scope’

‘system’‘focus’

picture of ‘the Nexus’subjective framing

‘effect’

under-determined realities

‘cause’local people

Framing ‘the Nexus’

environment

‘system’

under-determined realities diverse picturesplural frames

‘effect’

‘cause’

local people

‘scope’

‘focus’

Framing ‘the Nexus’

plural frames

‘system’

‘cause’

‘effect’

under-determined realities

local people

diverse pictures

‘scope’

‘focus’

Framing ‘the Nexus’

plural frames

‘system’

‘cause’

‘effect’

under-determined realities

local people

diverse pictures

‘scope’

‘focus’

Framing ‘the Nexus’

power in knowledge

‘system’

‘cause’

‘effect’

under-determined realities

local people

diverse pictures

‘scope’

‘focus’

Framing ‘the Nexus’

THE

NEXUS

INPUTS

(aspects taken into

account within

practice of research

or appraisal)

problems,

options,

pros / cons,

issues,

uncertainties,

perspectives

INPUTS

(things that are

taken into account)

Pro

blems, options, pros

/ cons, issues,

uncertainties,

perspectives

narrow

broad

closing down opening up

expert /

analytic

participatory /

deliberative

OUTPUTS

(aspects that are conveyed

outwards into wider discourse)

’Plural conditional’ conclusions…

… if X then A … if Y then B …

Rigour in Nexus-Focused Methodologies

Combining reflection and reflexivity in informing policy and politics

narrow

broad

closing down opening up

expert /

analytic

participatory /

deliberative

decision

analysis

INP

UT

S

OUTPUTS

sustainability

safety

impacts

Rigour in Nexus-Focused Methodologies

Combining reflection and reflexivity in informing policy and politics

narrow

broad

closing down opening up

expert /

analytic

participatory /

deliberative

citizen’s juries

INP

UT

S

OUTPUTS

Rigour in Nexus-Focused Methodologies

Combining reflection and reflexivity in informing policy and politics

narrow

broad

closing down opening up

expert /

analytic

participatory /

deliberative

citizen’s juries

participatory

appraisal

q-

method

scientometric

mapping

open

space

multicriteria

mapping

extended

foresightcitizen’s juries

decision

analysis

stakeholder

negotiation

participatory

sensitivity analysis

cost-benefit

analysis risk

assessment

interactive

modelling

structured

interviews

participant

observation

multi-site

ethnographic-

methods

citizen’s juries

consensus

conference

open

hearings

concurrent

evidence

critical

narratives

intervention

futures

PIPA

plural

photovoice

system

histories

innovation

histories

INP

UT

S

OUTPUTS

Rigour in Nexus-Focused Methodologies

Combining reflection and reflexivity in informing policy and politics

spot-the-

narrative

narrow

broad

closing down opening up

expert /

analytic

participatory /

deliberative

citizen’s juries

decision

analysis

participatory

rural appraisal

stakeholder

negotiation

q-method

sensitivity

analysis

deliberative

mappingscientometric

mapping

open

space

cost-benefit

analysis

risk

assessmen

t

interactive

modelling

structured

interviews

narrative-based

participant

observation

multi-site

ethnographic-

methods

citizen’s juries

consensus

conference

open

hearings

dissenting

opinions

multi-criteria

mapping

extended

foresight

stakeholder

negotiation

cost-benefit

analysis

risk

assessment

INP

UT

S

OUTPUTS

Power Closes Down Nexus Research and Appraisal

Pressure to command authority, foster trust, secure acceptance, manage blame

expert /

analytic

participatory /

deliberative

Challenges for Research and Appraisal

Reflexively means actively balancing bias in conventional appraisal

narrow

broad

closing down opening up

participatory

appraisal

q-

method

open

space

multicriteria

mapping

participatory

sensitivity

analysis

intervention

futures PIPA

plural

photovoice

system

histories

innovation

histories

INP

UT

S

OUTPUTS

narrow

broad

closing down opening up

expert /

analytic

participatory /

deliberative

Power Closes Down Research and Appraisal

A responsibility for neutrality means independent innovation research and

policy appraisal should deliberately counter pressures for closure

MONODISCIPLINARITY

eg:

Q-method comes out of social psychology

INP

UT

S

OUTPUTS

narrow

broad

closing down opening up

expert /

analytic

participatory /

deliberative

Power Closes Down Research and Appraisal

A responsibility for neutrality means independent innovation research and

policy appraisal should deliberately counter pressures for closure

MONODISCIPLINARITY

- enquiry is structured by community practices

- institutionalised as “normal science” within paradigm

- authority through self-confident coherence

eg:

in Q-method analysis is subject to

particular assumptions and conventions

INP

UT

S

OUTPUTS

MONODISCIPLINARITY

- enquiry is structured by community practices

- institutionalised as “normal science” within paradigm

- authority through self-confident coherence

Participatory methods can

also be monodisciplinary

eg:

participatory panel

follows particular rules

narrow

broad

closing down opening up

expert /

analytic

participatory /

deliberative

Power Closes Down Research and Appraisal

A responsibility for neutrality means independent innovation research and

policy appraisal should deliberately counter pressures for closure

INP

UT

S

OUTPUTS

narrow

broad

closing down opening up

expert /

analytic

participatory /

deliberative

Power Closes Down Research and Appraisal

A responsibility for neutrality means independent innovation research and

policy appraisal should deliberately counter pressures for closure

CROSS-DISCIPLINARITY

- task- and context-specific

- allows cross-critique and triangulation

- authority through juxtaposition

eg:

participatory panel provides

complement to discourse analysis

INP

UT

S

OUTPUTS

MULTIDISCIPLINARITY

- enquiry structured hierarchically

- impressive scope, reassuring applicability

- authority through integration

eg:

integrated assessment

global panels

narrow

broad

closing down opening up

expert /

analytic

participatory /

deliberative

Power Closes Down Research and Appraisal

A responsibility for neutrality means independent innovation research and

policy appraisal should deliberately counter pressures for closure

INP

UT

S

OUTPUTS

INTERDISCIPLINARITY

- enquiry structured by collaboration

- attention targeted on focal problem

- authority thro’ fidelity in addressing complexity

eg:

collaborative networks

multiple partnerships

narrow

broad

closing down opening up

expert /

analytic

participatory /

deliberative

Power Closes Down Research and Appraisal

A responsibility for neutrality means independent innovation research and

policy appraisal should deliberately counter pressures for closure

INP

UT

S

OUTPUTS

TRANSDISCIPLINARITY

- enquiry reflects wider extant framings

- flexible to divergent contexts

- authority thro’ salience and legitimacy

eg:

co-designed with

stakeholders

narrow

broad

closing down opening up

expert /

analytic

participatory /

deliberative

Power Closes Down Research and Appraisal

A responsibility for neutrality means independent innovation research and

policy appraisal should deliberately counter pressures for closure

INP

UT

S

OUTPUTS

Diversity: just as no one ‘Nexus’, so for ‘Nexus Method’ or even Methodology

Towards Nexus-Related Capabilities

Broaden Out inputs: issues, options, uncertainties, scenarios, perspectives

Open Up outputs: plural conditionality shows answers depend on questions

Transdisciplinarity: more equal relations between disciplines and beyond

Policy & Politics: not just usual ‘users’ but marginal, vulnerable & democracy

Reflexivity: about framing, & especially about how power imprints knowledge