There is emerging agreement that sustainability challenges require new ways of knowledge production and decision-making. One key aspect of sustainability science, therefore, is the involvement of actors from outside academia into the research process in order to integrate the best available knowledge, reconcile values and preferences, as well as create ownership for problems and solution options. Transdisciplinary, community-based, interactive, or participatory research approaches are often suggested as appropriate means to meet both the requirements posed by real-world problems as well as the goals of sustainability science as a transformational scientific field. Dispersed literature on these approaches and a variety of empirical projects applying them make it difficult for interested researchers and practitioners to review and become familiar with key components and design principles of how to do transdisciplinary sustainability research. Starting from a conceptual model of an ideal–typical transdisciplinary research process, this article synthesizes and structures such a set of principles from various strands of the literature and empirical experiences. We then elaborate on them, looking at challenges and some coping strategies as experienced in transdisciplinary sustainability projects in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Asia. The article concludes with future research needed in order to further enhance the practice of transdisciplinary sustainability research.

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Transdisciplinary research in sustainability science: practice, principles, and challenges

Noella Mackenzie and Sally Knipe Charles Sturt University In this article the authors discuss issues faced by early career researchers, including the dichotomy, which many research textbooks and journal articles create and perpetuate between qualitative and quantitative research methodology despite considerable literature to support the use of mixed methods. The authors review current research literature and discuss some of the language, which can prove confusing to the early career researcher and problematic for postgraduate supervisors and teachers of research. The authors argue that discussions of research methods in research texts and university courses should include mixed methods and should address the perceived dichotomy between qualitative and quantitative research methodology.

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Research dilemmas: Paradigms, methods and methodology

This book demonstrates the relevance, rigor, and creativity of interpretive research methodologies for the social and human sciences. The book situates methods questions within the context of broader methodological questions--specifically, the character of social realities and their "know-ability." Exceptionally clear and well-written chapters provide engaging discussions of the methods of accessing, generating, and analyzing social science data, using methods ranging from reflexive historical analysis to critical ethnography. Reflecting on their own research experiences, the contributors offer an inside, applied perspective on how research topics, evidence, and methods intertwine to produce knowledge in the social sciences.

Interpretation and Method : Empirical Research Methods and the Interpretive Turn

A review of transdisciplinary research in sustainability science

In this article, a newly minted Ph.D. shares seven lessons learned during the process of preparing a dissertation based on qualitative research methods. While most of the lessons may be applicable to any kind of research, the writer focuses on the special challenges of employing a qualitative methodology. The lessons are: (1) Read, read, read; (2) Consult the experts; (3) Adhere to university regulations; (4) Pay attention to rigor and trustworthiness; (5) Give details of the methodology; (6) Don't be afraid to include numerical data; and (7) Prepare to publish. Key Words: Confirmability, Credibility, Dependability, Grounded Theory, Inductive Analysis, Transferability, and Trustworthiness ********** As the new millennium dawned, I made a decision: I would reach for something seemingly beyond my grasp. That special something turned out to be a doctoral degree. However, even after I had fully embarked on that upward journey of discovery, I had no inkling of the methodological challenges that would mark many milestones on that journey. A social research neophyte, I have spent my adult life honing my skills and developing expertise as a journalist and public relations practitioner. Over the years, I have researched and written numerous news stories, feature articles, general-interest columns, and special reports for newspapers, magazines, and radio. Researching and writing a dissertation--particularly one based on qualitative research methods--demanded a different set of skills and offered some special challenges because of its nature and scope. In reflecting on that experience, I can identify various lessons learned along the way. During coursework, I learned all the quantitative stuff: descriptive statistics, t-test procedures, univariate and multivariate analyses of variance, chi-square test, regression analysis, factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and the like. What's more, I developed facility in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Coursework also focused on basic matters like having a well-written research question; stating the purpose of the study (exploratory, descriptive, explanatory, or evaluative, or some combination); reviewing the literature thoroughly; and presenting a conceptual or theoretical framework for the study. Guiding me on the early part of my journey, my statistics professor emphasized the "power" of numbers and the precision of measures characterizing quantitative studies. Like so many numbers-crunching researchers, my stats professor viewed qualitative research with suspicion. It seemed the good professor considered a methodology in which the generation of hypotheses often replaces the testing thereof, explanation replaces measurement, and understanding replaces the making of generalizations as "airy fairy" (not "real") research (Labuschagne, 2003). Consequently, I became somewhat skeptical of this kind of research. In the end, though, I let the topic and goals of my research dictate the methodology. Fortunately, all four members of my dissertation committee (including the outgoing coordinator of the doctoral program) were enlightened enough to appreciate and support my choice of research methodology. Indeed, they emphasized the need for me to gather data reflecting the interactions and experiences of individuals and communities in relation to the research problem that I had identified. It was important to know quantitative research methodology and its assumptions, as well, so I could defend my choice of research design and methods. It is like preparing for a debate. To be effective, the debater had better know both (or all) sides of the issue. Before too long, it became clear to me that quantitative and qualitative research have distinct and complementary strengths. The main strength of qualitative research is that it yields data that provide depth and detail to create understanding of phenomena and lived experiences. …

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Preparing a Qualitative Research-Based Dissertation: Lessons Learned

The Essential Guide to Doing Research

Embedded Case Study Methods: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Knowledge

Strategies of Qualitative Inquiry, 2nd edition

In recent years there has been a large increase in the number of qualified nurses in the United Kingdom, who have raised the academic level of their nursing qualification to diploma level or above. Correspondingly, there has been little research that assesses the value of post-registration education offered by universities. In particular, there is a paucity of research regarding the effects of courses on the subsequent clinical practice of participants. Studies of post-registration education appear to be small scale and limited in scope. This paper examines the views of diplomates as to the effect of a Diploma in Professional Studies in Nursing course on clinical practice. A questionnaire was sent to all nurses (n = 169), from the first seven cohorts, who successfully completed the course. A response rate of 66.8% (n = 113) was achieved. The respondents reported themselves to be more questioning, more able to apply research findings and to have a wider knowledge for practice following completion of the course. The findings are discussed, limitations of the study addressed and recommendations for further research are made.

The impact of higher education for post-registration nurses on their subsequent clinical practice: an exploration of students' views.

Your Research Project – A Step‐By‐Step Guide for the First‐Time Researcher by Nicholas Walliman Sage Publications, London, 2001, 322 pages, £17·99, ISBN 0 761 96539 4.

Alan Weale

Papers

The Essential Guide to Doing Research

Embedded Case Study Methods: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Knowledge

Strategies of Qualitative Inquiry, 2nd edition

The impact of higher education for post-registration nurses on their subsequent clinical practice: an exploration of students' views.

Your Research Project – A Step‐By‐Step Guide for the First‐Time Researcher by Nicholas Walliman Sage Publications, London, 2001, 322 pages, £17·99, ISBN 0 761 96539 4.