What are the effects of transdisciplinary research projects in the global North and South? A comparative analysis

Abstract

Transdisciplinary research (TD) integrates knowledge from different scientific disciplines, as well as from research and practice. Research and practice therefore describe TD as well-suited for addressing complex sustainability challenges. However, the effects of TD on sustainable development are difficult to assess, as such projects produce manifold, interconnected effects through nonlinear processes, contingent on different contexts. In this article, we use a systematic literature review of 101 TD projects to assess the different effects of TD projects and their interconnections. We distinguish between North-South TD projects and TD projects within the global North. Due to differences in terms of historical development and context, we expect to observe differences in the effects they achieve. We find that North-South projects scored higher for societal effects and uptake of knowledge, while projects in the global North produced more tangible outputs, such as academic publications. In terms of interconnections of effects, N-S projects emphasize inclusion more strongly than global North projects, due to an increased awareness of differences between different project participants. However, effects related to uptake of knowledge, learning, and societal effects are often interconnected in both types of projects. This article improves our understanding of the prominence of different effects of TD projects, the interconnections between effects they produce, and the differences between N-S and North projects. Acknowledging this diversity of effects is important, not least for evaluating the efficacy of TD projects.

Keywords

• Transdisciplinary research
• Sustainable development
• Project effects
• North-South research partnerships
• Evaluation