Call for abstracts: Interaction, dialogue, collaboration, and interactive social science in research for change

2020-12-15

At least since the term 'action research' was first coined in the 1940s, there has been a constant striving for more practice relevant research and more engaged scholarship. One central challenge that remains, however, is to bridge the knowledge gap between research and change, between research and practice; a gap involving facts and issues that still need to be explored. This raises the questions: How can academic scholars and reflective practitioners utilize the space between research and practice? How can we build a bridge between the ground of scientific research, which albeit rigorous may not always be relevant, and the land of practice, with which this research needs to engage in order to increase its relevance?

Various forms of interactive, dialogical, and collaborative research have been evolving both in Scandinavia and internationally for many years, and they might be part of the answer. However, what is being achieved by existing efforts involving dialogical approaches, collaboration and the process of translation between research and practice? What are the challenges, opportunities and characteristics of the academic frontiers and what are their deficiencies? What characterizes research that exhibits the power and capacity to be creative and transformative?

With this call, we want to inspire both researchers and practitioners engaged in interactive, dialogical and translational knowledge creation, guided by effective research methodology, to present knowledge of how academic circles and partners in other parts of society may co-produce and co-create knowledge, transforming real-time conditions for the benefit of both.

We encourage contributions that demonstrate the possibilities and importance of interactive, dialogical, and collaborative research. Many different research communities are working with the potentials and challenges of participatory, collaborative and dialogical research. This work also involves a variety of approaches to power and knowledge mobilization, and links to sustainability and democracy.

We welcome contributions that contribute to broadening and deepening the substantial, academic understanding of interactive, collaborative, and dialogical research, in addition to expanding the possibilities of taking action in practice. Articles exploring methodologies could also be of interest for this issue. Interactive, dialogical, and collaborative research and science may require modified or new approaches to epistemology, ontology and the philosophy of science. What would these look like?

Practical information

Editors of this issue:
Erik Lindhult, Assistant Professor, Mälardalen University, Sweden
Janne Dam Madsen, Professor, University of South-Eastern Norway, Norway
Ulrik Gensby, Partner, PhD/Adjunct Scientist – Team Working Life, Denmark / Institute for Work and Health (IWH), Canada

Deadline for abstracts: February 1, 2021

Language: Abstracts may be submitted in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish or English.

Length: Max 500 words.

Content: The author should describe the projected structure and content of the article and cover the following points (in whatever order is relevant to the article):

  • Aims
  • Conceptual/theoretical framework
  • Research design/methodology
  • Results
  • Limits/boundaries
  • Research and/or practical implications
  • Contribution to the development of knowledge

Abstracts must be uploaded to the journal's digital platform. You must register as a user to upload. Please note that usernames may not contain uppercase letters or spaces.

If you have any questions, please contact Editorial Assistant, Signe Kierkegaard Cain: sica@kp.dk.

About Research and Change

The journal Research and Change is a double blind, peer reviewed journal, published twice a year on specific topics in an open access, web-based format. The journal is published by Cappelen Damm and is a collaborative project involving Nordic universities of applied sciences and universities. The journal publishes articles in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and English.