Keywords
Research tools repository
Knowledge co-production
Effective communication
Long-term outcomes
Abstract
There is limited understanding of how transdisciplinary research (TDR) tools used in Latin America contribute to the implementation of transdisciplinary principles, such as Effective Communication, Knowledge Co-Production, and Long-Term Impacts. This gap matters because, as transdisciplinary approaches become more widely adopted, scholars have increasingly criticized the misuse of TDR methodologies for perpetuating colonial relationships, including knowledge exploitation and the exacerbation of power imbalances. By expanding understanding of how specific TDR tools provide the conditions needed to achieve these principles, transdisciplinary researchers in Latin America can make more informed decisions when selecting tools. In this study, fifteen research tools documented in the repository currently being developed by the Network for Participatory Research in Latin America (Red de Investigación Participativa en América Latina, Red IPAL) were characterized using an analytical framework based on eight categories and guiding questions concerning participants’ level of engagement. Subsequently, a deductive analysis was conducted to evaluate the extent to which these research tools contribute to the implementation of each principle. The characterization of the studied tools revealed a typology ranging from highly technical, data-dominated tools to narrative-based and accessible ones. Different levels of engagement were identified across the tools. The evaluation of the three principles showed that effective communication depends on how tools are implemented within relational, epistemic, and political contexts. Knowledge co-production was found to be highly sensitive to the use of appropriate boundary objects and to the level of trust generated through communicative and interrelational processes. The discussion of the conditions needed to produce long-term impacts highlighted that trust and full participant engagement throughout the research process are pivotal. This study calls for more intentional tool selection in TDR in Latin America. It emphasizes the importance of formats that support accessible language, feedback loops for collective planning, and iterative capacity-building, while also embedding mechanisms to track post-project effects and strengthen more equitable research spaces.
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