Research Institute for Humanity and Nature

Fisical Year Completed
2022

Co-creation Project

Related links: Co-creation Project web site

Methods and Tactics to Foster Knowledge Co-creation: A Practical Framework for Implementing Transdisciplinary Research

Abstract

What have we learned and to what extent?

/rihn/cms_upload/project/10/fig1_TDpatternClustering.jpg Co-creation Patterns Workshop: Extracting and grouping seeds of ideas

We proposed a framework consisting of four elements for implementing TD research: theory, methodology, knowledge, and social outcomes. In recent years, the term TD research has been used in a variety of contexts, but existing theories do not necessarily apply to all those environmental issues and regions. As such, it is important to identify and apply methods that are appropriate to individual cases. In addition, since TD is relatively new in Japan, the available knowledge on the effective implementation is limited. We extracted over 450 ideas to foster co-creation from researchers and developed about 30 patterns of knowledge co-creation. Further, we collected and analyzed the societal outcomes of the TD research by conducting a follow-up survey in the Kosaji area of Koka, Shiga Prefecture, which was one of the field sites of RIHN research project (e-rec project). We found that while winter flooding, which the project facilitated during the project FR period was decreasing, indirect outcomes, such as changes in participants’ perceptions and knowledge transfer to non-participants, were occurring even three years after the project completed.

Our concept of global environmental studies

In order to solve global environmental problems, it is not enough to advance scientific knowledge on the status of the natural environment, but we must identify effective and feasible solutions with experts in various disciplines the people facing the problems. However, it is not easy to co-create and collaborate with people from different backgrounds and across disciplines, industries, experiences, and regions.

Thus, we aimed to contribute to the construction of global environmental studies by presenting a method for fostering co-creation.

New connections

We organized a session on “Transdisciplinarity and the Concept of Co-creation in Asia” at SRI (Sustainability Research + Innovation Congress) 2022, where we discussed knowledge and experience on TD research with researchers from various countries and regions, including Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Germany, Thailand, India, and Zambia. Project leader, Yuko Onishi, made an oral presenatation as an invited speaker at the Union Session “What is the Value of Knowledge Creation” at the JpGU (Japan Geoscience Union) 2022 Congress.

In addition, we constructed a website, “Kankyo Tomoshiru” (https://cocreationproject.jp/en/), as a platform for sharing information on transdisciplinarity and co-creation. We also manage various SNS accounts, which we will continue maintaining in the future.

/rihn/cms_upload/project/10/fig2_sri2023.png SRI2023 Session: Transdisciplinarity and the Concept of Co-creation in Asia