State-of-the-Art: Assessing the Qualities of Transdisciplinary Research in German-Speaking Countries

Working Paper 1-2025 by the Working Group on the Assessment of the Qualities of Transdisciplinary Research, Society for Transdisciplinary and Participatory Research (GTPF AG) This paper provides an overview of the current state of knowledge (State-of-the-Art) regarding quality criteria in transdisciplinary research. Due to the regional focus of the GTPF, the emphasis was placed on the German-speaking discourse. To create this State-of-the-Art, a literature review was conducted, combining a systematic search in SCOPUS with an examination of the literature collections from the project SHAPE-ID and the database INTERSECTIONS. From these sources, only texts authored by individuals affiliated with institutions in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland were considered. The selected documents were distributed to the 14 experts of the StoA editorial group, who were involved in the preparation of this report, in order to categorise them according to the following evaluation categories: ·       Analytical Dimension: What makes transdisciplinary research distinctive? ·       Normative Dimension: According to which criteria is it assessed? ·       Practical Dimension: How is it assessed? The results include several key elements identified in the selected literature beyond the evaluation categories we defined: 1.     The demand for transdisciplinary research (TDR) are steadily increasing. 2.     The existing logics and procedures of the scientific system are often difficult to reconcile with the requirements and peculiarities of TDR. 3.     Different and competing understandings of science and scientific work collide, with significant implications for careers and funding opportunities for research projects, working groups, and individual researchers. 4.     The inadequacy of index-based evaluations with performance indicators for assessing TDR necessitates a critical examination of existing standards. 5.     Another focus in the German-speaking discourse on the qualities of TDR is on the impacts of transdisciplinary research. Furthermore, this State-of-the-Art presents the various application areas, actors, and fields that have long been engaged with quality evaluations, and it outlines the most important findings from the researched literature regarding the qualities of TDR, as well as the criteria and methods for their evaluation. Based on these results, a position paper on the qualities of transdisciplinary research and their evaluation is to be developed, accompanied by practice-oriented recommendations for funding institutions and the leadership of research organisations.