Bridging Research Praxes Across Pluralities of Knowledge

How can researchers working both within and external to academia in all
disciplines and areas of research recognize knowledge produced in other spheres
and engage more ethically and collaboratively with that knowledge and those
who create and circulate it? This was the central question behind the Bridging
Research Praxes Across Pluralities of Knowledge conference held at Linkoping
University in Sweden and on Zoom in April 2022. At the heart of the conference
was the recognition that searching for answers to this question cannot be left to
arbitrary and haphazard engagements and encounters but must be motivated,
reflected on, and formulated clearly in ongoing discussions. This special issue
of Culture Unbound continues the discussions begun at the conference. Both
the conference and this special issue have served as a platform for researchers
to engage in open dialogue about the challenges and opportunities of bridging
research and praxes across pluralities of knowledge. Organized around three
principal areas of discussion – research ethics and shared authority, citizen
science/research, and metrics, value, and recognition – the conference involved
researchers working both within academia and outside of the academy (such as
journalists, artists, practitioners, etc.) and from a variety of disciplines, research
fields, and geographical locations, with one or two moderators. Working from
videos and transcripts from the conference, some of the conference participants
have reflected and written on the discussions started at the conference in the
contributions published in this issue. Through the unique format of this issue, the
contributions reflect the continued discussions and collaboration that have taken place
as other contributors have read and commented on others’ contributions.