This post and the next one will consider some of the broader learnings and thoughts that emerged from my doctoral research. This post will focus on some theoretical aspects and their possible applications and implications. One core aspect is what I term prospective knowledge practices (PKPs). In my thesis I define a PKP as: An … [Read more…]
The previous post discussed research aims. This post shifts focus to consider in a bit more detail the study that I conducted, arguments made in the thesis, and related claims. The study: I conducted a series of impact evaluations, and a related case study, which examined the “futures forums” conducted by a research group at … [Read more…]
I’ve decided to write a series of posts reviewing and reflecting on my doctoral research and considering future directions such inquiry could be taken in. Such posts might be of interest to others thinking of conducting research on forms of forward-looking inquiry and engagement (in addition to a personal moment of reflection). This post begins … [Read more…]
Reading Roger Pielke Jr’s review of David Wallace-Wells’ new book The Uninhabitable Earth: A Story of the Future got me thinking about a process described by Pielke Jr as the transformation of “carefully caveated scenarios of the future” produced by scientific communities into “most likely futures” (or related future-oriented claims). He writes: The scientific community … [Read more…]
Though my doctoral research began as a fairly straightforward impact evaluation of forward-looking interventions (which I call “prospective exercises”), it evolved into a more complex piece of research and theory-building. Two of the ideas that emerged from this broader inquiry are: To understand the use and impacts of a prospective exercise (or similar future-oriented research) … [Read more…]
I’ve been reflecting on my PhD work and some potential future directions for my research which build on my growing interest in knowledge-related aspects of sustainability transitions. This post sketches a few preliminary thoughts regarding what a research agenda focussed on these aspects of transitions could examine and why. An important line of inquiry in my … [Read more…]
In his book The Invention of Science David Wootton argues that “the idea of discovery is … a precondition for the invention of science” (p.54) and, linked with this, that the idea of discovery itself had to be invented. He points to the works of Francis Bacon which “built a philosophy of science around the … [Read more…]
Last week I received a letter from University of Technology Sydney (UTS) stating that the Graduate Research School at UTS has recommended (to the Academic Board) that I be admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (the degree will be conferred in March). This letter more formally marks the completion of what has been … [Read more…]
One of the most interesting aspects of Oxford Scenario Planning Approach (OSPA) – as outlined in the book Strategic Reframing by Rafael Ramirez and Angela Wilkinson (core Faculty at the Oxford Scenarios Programme at Oxford University’s Said Business School) – is the emphasis placed on attending to peoples’ “sense of the future”. As they put … [Read more…]
I’ve started developing a list of key readings which explore how and why engagement with the future can be biased (or problematic in other/related ways). This list of readings is a work-in-progress and will be progressively added to… I’d be keen to hear from you if you have suggestions for additional readings exploring the following … [Read more…]