A Framework To Assess The Transformative Potential Of Transdisciplinary Research: Application To Cases In The European Alps
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The implementation of transformative changes that address the root causes of social–ecological challenges is urgently needed. Transdisciplinary research has been proposed as one suitable approach to coproduce relevant knowledge for transformative change. However, there is a lack of conceptual clarity to assess whether and how transdisciplinary research can deliver transformative change, and also about what transformative change is. Here, we present a framework to assess the transformative potential of transdisciplinary research and test it in 4 cases from the European Alps. The framework includes a characterization of the transdisciplinary research process, a characterization of the changes in the target unit (the entity that the transdisciplinary research aims to transform), and a theory of change linking the former to the latter. The framework allows examination of whether and how transdisciplinary research contributes to changing target units and to what extent these changes are transformative, while highlighting the importance of the temporal context. In addition, the framework highlights key characteristics of the transdisciplinary research process that shape its transformative potential. The main value of the framework lies in the explicit link between the assessment of the transdisciplinary research process and the assessment of transformative change over the medium term (from years to decades). Moving forward, studies are needed that rely on a larger and more diverse number of cases and that better grasp the depth of transformative change. This article offers insights for improving assessments of the impacts of research, which are increasingly critical for researchers, universities, funders, and beneficiaries. These insights can support the effective design and evaluation of research aimed at implementing transformative change to address complex social–ecological challenges.
Authors: Iago Otero, Emmanuel Reynard, Carine Pachoud, Isabelle Arpin, Stefano Duglio, Stefano Sala, Janez Nared, Emmanuelle George, Riccardo Beltramo, Hines Mabika, Raffaella Balzarini, Paola Fontanella Pisa, Bernat Claramunt-López, Stefan Schneiderbauer, Andreas Haller, Annemarie Polderman, Susanne Wymann von Dach, Énora Bruley, Sarah-Lan Mathez-Stiefel, Luca Giupponi, Laine Chanteloup, Ignacio Palomo
Institutions: University of Lausanne, Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, AGroécologie, Innovations, teRritoires, Université de Toulouse, Laboratoire des écosystèmes et sociétés en montagne, University of Turin, University of Milan, Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, United Nations University, Institute for Environment and Human Security, Centre for Research on Ecology and Forestry Applications, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research, University of Geneva, University of Bern, Institut polytechnique de Grenoble, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $850
OpenAlex ID: W7225402993