ITD Toolkits Inventory
Products from the Inventory Project by the Toolkits & Methods Working Group
New Articles!
Laursen, B., Vienni-Baptista, B., Bammer, G., Di Giulio, A., Paulsen, T., Robson-Williams, M., & Studer, S. (2024). Toolkitting: An unrecognized form of expertise for overcoming fragmentation in inter- and transdisciplinarity. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03279-9
ITD Alliance Working Group on Toolkits and Methods. (2024). Toolkits. In F. Darbellay (Ed.), Elgar Encyclopedia of Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity (pp. 533–537). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035317967.ch117
This inventory is in progress.
The toolkits featured in the toolkit inventory are collections of methods, procedures, concepts, heuristics, and/or other resources that can be used in designing and implementing interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary (ITD) processes in research, practice, or education.
This inventory is one product of the Inventory Project, an ongoing effort of the ITD Alliance Toolkits & Methods Working Group. The inventory provides an overview of toolkits for collaborative modes of research, debates how to adequately characterise toolkits and tools, and explores what we can learn from such a characterisation.
In 2019, when we began to think about creating some form of inventory of ITD toolkits, we encountered a tension between providing a service to the community before our information become obsolete versus providing a high-quality product that gives credit to all toolkits and their unique approaches. In the end we took a pragmatic approach and created the following outputs listed in chronological order:
- Sample Dashboards: We developed a dashboard template that would quickly present relevant information on a toolkit. We prototyped this template with 5 toolkits familiar to our Working Group. The dashboards, below, help viewers understand the rationale and the unique value of each toolkit (in comparison to the others).
- Overview Visualisation: We developed a visualisation, below, to help users compare a range of toolkits. We did this by tagging 27 toolkits against a range of criteria and then creating an image to display the landscape of toolkits. The tagging was guided by the question “what can be found in the toolkit?” and may support your decision on which toolkit(s) you want to further explore.
- Community Picks: To give credit to all the other toolkits we could not cover, or to present toolkits more adequately than it is possible in a diagram, we are expanding our inventory with a “community picks” section, below.
- Encyclopedia article: We surveyed the toolkit landscape in this brief article: ITD Alliance Working Group on Toolkits and Methods. (2024). Toolkits. In F. Darbellay (Ed.), Elgar Encyclopedia of Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity (pp. 533–537). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035317967.ch117
- Peer-reviewed article: We consolidated the expertise we learned to recognize through the inventory process into this article: Laursen, B., Vienni-Baptista, B., Bammer, G., Di Giulio, A., Paulsen, T., Robson-Williams, M., & Studer, S. (2024). Toolkitting: an unrecognized form of expertise for overcoming fragmentation in inter- and transdisciplinarity. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03279-9
Sample Dashboards
Brief, structured descriptions of several ITD toolkits
Integrated Research Toolkit
Provides some basic tools and methods for beginners to integrated research.
Integration and Implementation Insights (i2Insights) blog and repository
Provides tools for developing more comprehensive understanding of complex problems and for supporting (through research) improved policy and practice responses to them.
SHAPE-ID Toolkit
Acts as a gateway to locate resources and tools for inter- and transdisciplinary research; with a special focus on the roles of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
TransImpact
Provides tools and methods targeted to improve societal impact of transdisciplinary research through systematic process design.
td-net toolbox
Provides methods and tools for co-producing knowledge in heterogenous groups of experts from science and practice.
Overview of the Landscape of Toolkits
A visual overview of 28 toolkits for Inter- and Transdisciplinary work, published October 2023
Click on each image below for a full-size version. Source: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10020000
Community Picks
Selected ITD Toolkits from our extended Working Group community
Facilitation is about allowing every voice in the room to be heard and understood, and there is a need for clarity and consistency around some EDI/DEI terms people use in collaborative research. The definitions in this glossary are based on published literature which we refer you to, and on our experience of how these terms are used. This is not an exhaustive list, and each project will likely generate additional terms. We see this glossary as a dynamic document which colleagues can use as a starting point in collaborative conversations as our understanding of language relevant to inclusive practice evolves.
For the German speaking community, I’d like to recommend the open access books Transdisziplinär und transformativ forschen – Doing transdisciplinary and transformative research. They aim at enabling third parties to implement methods for knowledge generation, knowledge integration and for transformation. The methods were developed in real-world labs, but are also applicable in other transdisciplinary and/or transformative contexts. Both books consist of two parts. In part 2, a total of 11 specific methods are described in detail. In part 1, Book I presents criteria, principles, and questions guiding planning and reflection, while Book II presents heuristics that help understanding the perspectives and the conditions of action of actors participating in transdisciplinary and/or transformative projects.
For the Dutch-speaking community, this visually-appealing guide includes tips for practitioners and facilitators of transdisciplinary work.
Undertaking just sustainability transitions in the context of the Anthropocene presents a complex societal challenge. This challenge is compounded by a systematic breakdown of confidence in the institution of science-making – the legitimation crisis (Habermas). Addressing this complex challenge involves collaboration with diverse stakeholders and the application of agile research methodologies. Through innovative research tools, such as thick mapping and virtual reality, researchers and stakeholders can co-create and test new institutional arrangements that promote justice and sustainability. In this way, the scientific community can regain and maintain public trust while effectively addressing pressing global challenges. Read more in the full article.
More to come…
Toolkit suggestions and toolkitting projects are warmly welcome.
