Engaging with local actors and their environmental knowledge

1. Engaging with local actors and their environmental knowledge

Oceans and especially coasts face increasingly complex challenges, affecting the delicate entanglements of peoples and their environments. Tackling these challenges requires addressing social and environmental aspects. Under the banner of sustainability, funding schemes are increasingly unifying research and development, calling for transdisciplinarity, and requiring close and early-on involvement of local actors in the design of research proposals and the implementation of projects. This 15-minute survey aims at researchers from different disciplines working on coastal and marine issues in and around the tropics. We invite you to reflect upon your research practices and experiences in the field, exploring how your research has incorporated local concerns and insights to develop forms of co-production of knowledge in the future.

Thank you!
Development and Knowledge Sociology WG, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research | WG Anticipating and Transforming Coastal Futures, German Committee Future Earth

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* 1. What is your nationality (Origin)?

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* 2. What is your current position?

Master Student

Doctoral Student

Postdoctoral researcher

Researcher with a permanent position

Senior researcher

Research Assistant

Technician

Policy maker

Consultant

Other (please specify)

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* 3. Country where you are employed

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* 4. What is your discipline?

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* 5. Think of a research project instructive of how you conduct yourself concerning local actors.

Where was the research developed?

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* 6. What disciplines were involved in this research?

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* 7. What was your role in this research?

Master Student

Doctoral Student

Postdoctoral researcher

Researcher with a permanent position

Senior researcher

Research assistant

Consultant

Technician

Policy maker

Administrator

Other (please specify)

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* 8. What level of actors (persons or organizations) did you engage with and in what quality?

	Participants (e.g. Survey respondents)	Technical workers (e.g. Boat-pilots, translators, guides)	Consultants (e.g. Acknowledged experts)	Research partners or co-researchers
Local stakeholders (People with interests, knowledge or affected by the issues of the research)	Local stakeholders (People with interests, knowledge or affected by the issues of the research) Participants (e.g. Survey respondents)	Local stakeholders (People with interests, knowledge or affected by the issues of the research) Technical workers (e.g. Boat-pilots, translators, guides)	Local stakeholders (People with interests, knowledge or affected by the issues of the research) Consultants (e.g. Acknowledged experts)	Local stakeholders (People with interests, knowledge or affected by the issues of the research) Research partners or co-researchers
Other local actors (Non-stakeholders)	Other local actors (Non-stakeholders) Participants (e.g. Survey respondents)	Other local actors (Non-stakeholders) Technical workers (e.g. Boat-pilots, translators, guides)	Other local actors (Non-stakeholders) Consultants (e.g. Acknowledged experts)	Other local actors (Non-stakeholders) Research partners or co-researchers
National level stakeholders (e.g. National NGOs, Government representatives of the sector)	National level stakeholders (e.g. National NGOs, Government representatives of the sector) Participants (e.g. Survey respondents)	National level stakeholders (e.g. National NGOs, Government representatives of the sector) Technical workers (e.g. Boat-pilots, translators, guides)	National level stakeholders (e.g. National NGOs, Government representatives of the sector) Consultants (e.g. Acknowledged experts)	National level stakeholders (e.g. National NGOs, Government representatives of the sector) Research partners or co-researchers
Other host-nation actors	Other host-nation actors Participants (e.g. Survey respondents)	Other host-nation actors Technical workers (e.g. Boat-pilots, translators, guides)	Other host-nation actors Consultants (e.g. Acknowledged experts)	Other host-nation actors Research partners or co-researchers
International stakeholders	International stakeholders Participants (e.g. Survey respondents)	International stakeholders Technical workers (e.g. Boat-pilots, translators, guides)	International stakeholders Consultants (e.g. Acknowledged experts)	International stakeholders Research partners or co-researchers
Other international actors	Other international actors Participants (e.g. Survey respondents)	Other international actors Technical workers (e.g. Boat-pilots, translators, guides)	Other international actors Consultants (e.g. Acknowledged experts)	Other international actors Research partners or co-researchers

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* 9. If you engaged with local communities? What are your motives? rank from the most important to the least.

It was required by funding bodies or by the host country

N/A

Local communities controlled research sites or species of interest

N/A

To increase the impact of your research

N/A

To access local environmental knowledge or insights

N/A

To understand the needs and concerns of the community and improve their conditions

N/A

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* 10. What path did you follow to approach the local communities of the area where you conducted the research?

Official governmental channels at the national level

Official channels at regional level

NGO working in the area

Previous personal contacts with the community or some of its members

Academic broker: other researchers who have previously worked in the area

Through research assistants

The communities approached you as a consultant

Local authorities approached you in the field

Did not engage with local communities

Other (please specify)

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* 11. What was the reaction of the community towards your research? Which options correspond better?

Easy to approach

Aware of the issues you were researching

Unaware

Interested in the issues you were researching

Keen on joining or contributing

Saturated of research

Uninterested

Interested in different questions

Suspicious

Hostile

Other (please specify)

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* 12. How did you engage with the community?

The research explored the communities’ perspectives of the problems affecting it.

The community was involved in the research design.

The research examined local knowledge as its research topic.

You informed the community about your research.

There was no engagement with local communities.

Other (please specify)

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* 13. Has your research involved local expertise and in what quality?

as research partners or co-researchers

as consultants or primary sources of social or environmental information

as local guides, drivers or boat pilots, with geographical knowledge

as translators with linguistic and social knowledge

as research assistants with local common knowledge

Other (please specify)

None of the above

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* 14. When you first approach a new research area, how do you relate to boat pilots or guides? Which option best describes your normal practice?

Instruct them to drive you to predetermined locations

Ask them to take you where certain phenomena occur

Explain what you are looking for

Involve them in the planning of the research

Structure your research after questions they, or their community find interesting or of importance

Develop research initiated by communities

Other (please specify)

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* 15. How do you identify stakeholders, potential collaborators, and research partners? How do you decide whom to engage and how?

	Stakeholders	Workers (research assistants, translators, guides or boat pilots)	Consultants	Research partners
Followed established methods to identify and engage with them	Followed established methods to identify and engage with them Stakeholders	Followed established methods to identify and engage with them Workers (research assistants, translators, guides or boat pilots)	Followed established methods to identify and engage with them Consultants	Followed established methods to identify and engage with them Research partners
Local authorities identified or designated potential candidates	Local authorities identified or designated potential candidates Stakeholders	Local authorities identified or designated potential candidates Workers (research assistants, translators, guides or boat pilots)	Local authorities identified or designated potential candidates Consultants	Local authorities identified or designated potential candidates Research partners
Publicized your intentions to carry research through local media	Publicized your intentions to carry research through local media Stakeholders	Publicized your intentions to carry research through local media Workers (research assistants, translators, guides or boat pilots)	Publicized your intentions to carry research through local media Consultants	Publicized your intentions to carry research through local media Research partners
The community identified or designated them through workshops or meetings	The community identified or designated them through workshops or meetings Stakeholders	The community identified or designated them through workshops or meetings Workers (research assistants, translators, guides or boat pilots)	The community identified or designated them through workshops or meetings Consultants	The community identified or designated them through workshops or meetings Research partners
Were referred by external brokers (NGOs or academics previously working in the area)	Were referred by external brokers (NGOs or academics previously working in the area) Stakeholders	Were referred by external brokers (NGOs or academics previously working in the area) Workers (research assistants, translators, guides or boat pilots)	Were referred by external brokers (NGOs or academics previously working in the area) Consultants	Were referred by external brokers (NGOs or academics previously working in the area) Research partners
Met them networking	Met them networking Stakeholders	Met them networking Workers (research assistants, translators, guides or boat pilots)	Met them networking Consultants	Met them networking Research partners
You were approached by them	You were approached by them Stakeholders	You were approached by them Workers (research assistants, translators, guides or boat pilots)	You were approached by them Consultants	You were approached by them Research partners

Other (please specify)

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* 16. What kind of process did you set up to engage with local actors?

Cross-examined their knowledge and positions to respond to your predefined research questions

Responded local questions employing scientific methods

Established an open dialogue aiming to approach local understandings

Provided capacity building in your discipline

Questions and methodologies were designed together with the community meeting both your interests and those of the community

Developed research together with local research partners

You used specific approaches or methods of co-design

You used specific approaches aiming at co-production

Other (please specify)

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* 17. Does your research deal with sensitive information? Of what kind?

Personal data

Medical data

Ethnic, gender, religious or political information

Geographical referencing data

Financial information

Criminal or illegal activities

Resource access

Other (please specify)

None of the above

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* 18. How much effort did you place into reporting your results back to local communities?

0 (No effort)

100 (The research was commissioned by the community and reported to their satisfaction )

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 19. How did your research report back to local communities?

Reported advances of the research to individuals in the community

Reported advances to different stakeholder groups

Reported advances of results to the community

Presented formal results to the community

Presented policy briefs to local authorities

Presented results to different stakeholders groups

Presented results to different individuals

Employed local radio or newspapers or virtual platforms used in the area to communicate results widely

Adapted results to local formats of knowledge transmission

Developed results as culturally specific materials enabling local education (if you would like to elaborate please do so in the "Other" text box)

Fostered the transmission of local forms of knowledge along with research results

Other (please specify)

None of the above

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* 20. Towards knowledge co-production - acknowledging local contributions to your science. Which of the following options describe your findings?

describe local knowledge

translate local knowledge

substantiate local knowledge

are grounded on local knowledge

are inspired by insights from locals

are parallel but consistent with local understandings

are independent from local understandings

are antithetical to local understandings

challenge local common sense

debunk local superstitions

unknown relation with local understandings

integrate different forms of knowledge

develop new knowledge

Other (please specify)

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* 21. How were local actors, their understandings and contributions acknowledged in your research?

The community employed the research to substantiate claims of cultural heritage or other rights

The community authored academic work of the research

Local research partners were first authors of academic publications

National research partners were first authors of academic publications

The community co-authored academic work of academic publications

Local research partners co-authored of academic publications

National research partners co-authored of academic publications

Consultants or participants are referenced and acknowledged by name

Local sources of knowledge are acknowledged as part of the community

Local sources of knowledge are acknowledged as stakeholders or stakeholder groups

The community or some of its members are mentioned in the acknowledgements of the publications

Local contributions or participation in the study was anonymised

Other (please specify)

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* 22. Through your career, have local communities ever resisted or objected to aspects of your research? If so what did they object?

The questions you were asking were taboo

The place where you wanted to work or sample was sacred

Species you wanted to work with were sacred or taboo

People in the community objected to your methods

Some stakeholders questioned the validity of your findings

The community questioned the validity of your findings

Other (please specify)

None of the above

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* 23. In that case, how did the issue arise? Select one option:

You anticipated the controversy and brought it up with the community

The issue was brought to light while you were consulting with the community

The community raised concerns when they noticed you were carrying out the research

The community did not notice.

The issue was brought to light when you reported back to the community

The issue was brought to light after publication

Other (please specify)

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* 24. In that case, how did you address it?

You discussed the issue with the community, and reformulated the research

You discussed the issue with the community, and they made an exception for the project

Together with the community or affected stakeholder group, you found a compromise to carry out the research or qualify and acknowledge the results

You worked out the issue with the affected stakeholder group

Other stakeholders in the community supported you carrying on with the project

You neglected the issue and carried the research regardless

The research was cancelled

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* 25. What is your experience with organizations (funding bodies, academic institutions, and journals) regarding co-design and co-production of research?

	Supports co-design and co-production	encourage co-design and co-production, but there are structural obstacles to the implementation	is indifferent to co-design or co-production, but there were no obstacles	Does not support co-design or co-coproduction	requirements of co-design or co-production hampered your research
Funding Bodies	Funding Bodies Supports co-design and co-production	Funding Bodies encourage co-design and co-production, but there are structural obstacles to the implementation	Funding Bodies is indifferent to co-design or co-production, but there were no obstacles	Funding Bodies Does not support co-design or co-coproduction	Funding Bodies requirements of co-design or co-production hampered your research
Academic Institution to which you were affiliated	Academic Institution to which you were affiliated Supports co-design and co-production	Academic Institution to which you were affiliated encourage co-design and co-production, but there are structural obstacles to the implementation	Academic Institution to which you were affiliated is indifferent to co-design or co-production, but there were no obstacles	Academic Institution to which you were affiliated Does not support co-design or co-coproduction	Academic Institution to which you were affiliated requirements of co-design or co-production hampered your research
Journals	Journals Supports co-design and co-production	Journals encourage co-design and co-production, but there are structural obstacles to the implementation	Journals is indifferent to co-design or co-production, but there were no obstacles	Journals Does not support co-design or co-coproduction	Journals requirements of co-design or co-production hampered your research

Please elaborate on the obstacles you have met.

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* 26. What structures at your organisation support engagement with stakeholders and co-design

Ethical clearance processes

Access to country information

Support in processes for research permits

Engagement strategy

Communication office

Other (please specify)

Engaging with local actors and their environmental knowledge

1. Engaging with local actors and their environmental knowledge

Question Title

* 1. What is your nationality (Origin)?

Question Title

* 2. What is your current position?

Question Title

* 3. Country where you are employed

Question Title

* 4. What is your discipline?

Question Title

* 5. Think of a research project instructive of how you conduct yourself concerning local actors. Where was the research developed?

Question Title

* 6. What disciplines were involved in this research?

Question Title

* 7. What was your role in this research?

Question Title

* 8. What level of actors (persons or organizations) did you engage with and in what quality?

Question Title

* 9. If you engaged with local communities? What are your motives? rank from the most important to the least.

Question Title

* 10. What path did you follow to approach the local communities of the area where you conducted the research?

Question Title

* 11. What was the reaction of the community towards your research? Which options correspond better?

Question Title

* 12. How did you engage with the community?

Question Title

* 13. Has your research involved local expertise and in what quality?

Question Title

* 14. When you first approach a new research area, how do you relate to boat pilots or guides? Which option best describes your normal practice?

Question Title

* 15. How do you identify stakeholders, potential collaborators, and research partners? How do you decide whom to engage and how?

Question Title

* 16. What kind of process did you set up to engage with local actors?

Question Title

* 17. Does your research deal with sensitive information? Of what kind?

Question Title

* 18. How much effort did you place into reporting your results back to local communities?

Question Title

* 19. How did your research report back to local communities?

Question Title

* 20. Towards knowledge co-production - acknowledging local contributions to your science. Which of the following options describe your findings?

Question Title

* 21. How were local actors, their understandings and contributions acknowledged in your research?

Question Title

* 22. Through your career, have local communities ever resisted or objected to aspects of your research? If so what did they object?

Question Title

* 23. In that case, how did the issue arise? Select one option:

Question Title

* 24. In that case, how did you address it?

Question Title

* 25. What is your experience with organizations (funding bodies, academic institutions, and journals) regarding co-design and co-production of research?

Question Title

* 26. What structures at your organisation support engagement with stakeholders and co-design

* 5. Think of a research project instructive of how you conduct yourself concerning local actors.

Where was the research developed?