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How do we know who to include in collaborative research? Toward a method for the identification of experts

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  • Müller, Matthias Otto
  • Groesser, Stefan N.
  • Ulli-Beer, Silvia

Abstract

Collaborative research, defined as research involving actors participating in the problem situation under study, has an important role in operational research, strategic management and systems thinking. In a recent study, we found that a strong organizational focus incorporated into many soft operational research (OR) approaches is inadequate for studying societal problem situations, which are fragmented and have no clear boundary. Specifically, we failed to find a process of identifying individuals that is capable of representing the perspectives of actors and sufficient for research into societal problem situations. We found no clear terminology accounting for ontological differences between actors, individuals representing them and conceptual representations of acting entities. In response to this gap in the literature, we propose terminology that differentiates among actors (individuals or collective entities in the real world), experts (individuals capable of representing the perspective of an actor) and agents (ideal-typical representations of actors). Based on this terminology, we propose an iterative method to guide the assembly of an expert group to undertake collaborative research into societal problem situations. To demonstrate the application of our method, we present selected insights from our study in an electronic supplement.

Suggested Citation

  • Müller, Matthias Otto & Groesser, Stefan N. & Ulli-Beer, Silvia, 2012. "How do we know who to include in collaborative research? Toward a method for the identification of experts," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 216(2), pages 495-502.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ejores:v:216:y:2012:i:2:p:495-502
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2011.07.014
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Groesser, Stefan N., 2014. "Co-evolution of legal and voluntary standards: Development of energy efficiency in Swiss residential building codes," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 1-16.

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