https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9598-0376
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ABSTRACT
Many knowledge transfer studies analyze channels that carry knowledge from university to industry and society. Action research has become a method to produce and transfer scientific knowledge at the same time; however, knowledge transfer studies rarely employ action research, and action research has rarely addressed the topic of knowledge transfer. Hence, there have been few opportunities to reflect upon the boundaries between the object of knowledge transfer studies and the knowledge transfer embodied in action research. Here, we present a first theoretical attempt to fill this gap, clarifying the concepts at play and drawing lessons for knowledge transfer studies about the dimensions through which knowledge transfer occurs in the communicative space generated during action research. We also ground our reflections on the suitability of introducing action research in knowledge transfer studies by conducting interviews with some of the most influential researchers in the field. Action research is posited as a way to increase engagement with research stakeholders, as called for by current demands to achieve higher societal impact. Engagement is highlighted as a source of key concepts and improved interpretation of results in knowledge transfer studies.
RESUMO
Muitos estudos de transferência de conhecimento analisam os canais que transportam a produção de conhecimento entre a universidade, a indústria e a sociedade. Nos últimos tempos, a pesquisa-ação se converteu em um método para produzir e transferir conhecimento científico. No entanto, os estudos de transferência normalmente não contemplam como objeto de estudo os processos de pesquisa-ação e a pesquisa-ação tampouco aborda o tema da transferência de conhecimento. Diante dessa situação, têm sido poucas as oportunidades para refletir sobre os limites entre o objeto dos estudos de transferência de conhecimento e a transferência de conhecimento interno na pesquisa-ação. Neste trabalho apresentamos uma primeira aproximação que pretende completar este vazio. Por um lado, esclarecendo os conceitos em jogo e, por outro, extraindo lições para os futuros estudos de transferência de conhecimento e processos de pesquisa-ação. Também fundamentamos nossas reflexões sobre a introdução à pesquisa-ação nos estudos de transferência de conhecimento mediante a realização de entrevistas com alguns dos pesquisadores mais influentes no campo. A pesquisa-ação se posiciona como uma forma de aumentar o engajamento com as partes interessadas na pesquisa, atuando frente as demandas atuais para gerar um maior impacto social. Este engajamento se destaca como uma fonte de conceitos-chave e uma melhor interpretação dos resultados nos estudos de transferência de conhecimento.
RESUMEN
Muchos estudios de transferencia de conocimiento analizan canales que llevan el conocimiento de la universidad a la industria y la sociedad. La investigación-acción se ha convertido en un método para producir y transferir conocimiento científico al mismo tiempo; sin embargo, los estudios de transferencia de conocimiento rara vez emplean la investigación-acción, y la investigación-acción rara vez ha abordado el tema de la transferencia de conocimiento. Por lo tanto, ha habido pocas oportunidades para reflexionar sobre los límites entre el objeto de los estudios de transferencia de conocimiento y la transferencia de conocimiento incorporada en la investigación-acción. Aquí presentamos un primer intento teórico para llenar este vacío, aclarando los conceptos en juego y extrayendo lecciones para los estudios de transferencia de conocimiento sobre las dimensiones a través de las cuales ocurre la transferencia de conocimiento en el espacio comunicativo generado durante la investigación-acción. También fundamentamos nuestras reflexiones sobre la idoneidad de introducir la investigación-acción en los estudios de transferencia de conocimiento mediante la realización de entrevistas con algunos de los investigadores más influyentes en el campo. La investigación-acción se posiciona como una forma de aumentar el compromiso con las partes interesadas en la investigación, como lo exigen las demandas actuales para lograr un mayor impacto social. Este compromiso se destaca como una fuente de conceptos clave y una mejor interpretación de los resultados en los estudios de transferencia de conocimientos.
Acknowledgements
The authors are indebted to the anonymous interviewees for their cooperation, and to Matthias Geissler, Isabel Bodas-Freitas, and Nabil Amara for their revision of an earlier version of this paper. Thanks are due also to attendants of our sessions at the Third Research Evaluation in the Social Sciences and Humanities (RESSH) Conference (2019) and the Technology Transfer Society (T2S) Conference (2018).
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 https://newhorrizon.eu/responsible-research-and-innovation-in-horizon-2020-and-horizon-europe/ [last accessed: 20/5/2022].
2 https://rri-tools.eu/public-engagement [last accessed: 20/5/2022].
3 For the sake of brevity, we skip here the delimitation of concepts related to knowledge transfer, such as knowledge spillovers/flows/diffusion/dissemination/exchange/interactions/collaboration/cooperation/sharing, access to the knowledge base, etc., and the distinction between technology and knowledge (Gopalakrishnan and Santoro [Citation2004] offer an interesting angle on this distinction, which somehow anticipates the current important difference in the field between academic engagement and commercialization). However, regarding the quite extended concept of “spillovers,” it may be worth noting that throughout this article, the notion of knowledge transfer embedded in action research is more compatible with that of spillovers mediated by face-to-face contacts than with that of “pure” spillovers, where reading codified information is all that matters (Acosta, Azagra-Caro, and Coronado Citation2016).
4 We confronted the interviewees with relatively recent complex typologies of knowledge transfer channels and motivations (Orazbayeva et al. Citation2020; D’Este et al. Citation2019; Freitas and Verspagen Citation2017), the consideration of societal in addition to industrial impact (D’Este et al. Citation2018), and new hybrid identities in academia (Lam Citation2020; Azagra-Caro, Fernández-Mesa, and Robinson-García Citation2020; Noriega Citation2020).
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Notes on contributors
Joaquín M. Azagra-Caro
Joaquín M. Azagra-Caro is a scientific researcher at INGENIO (CSIC-Polytechnic University of Valencia). He develops research in Science, Technology and Innovation studies. His topics are university-industry interactions, knowledge transfer, university patents, academic artists and science fiction.
Alejandra Boni
Alejandra Boni is Full Professor at the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, and deputy director of the INGENIO Research Institute (CSIC-UPV). She lectures in the Master's on Development Cooperation at UPV. Her research analyzes the relationships between human development, collective social innovation, and transformative learning. She has also a wide experience in the development aid ambit with links with public and non-governmental actors. She has more than 60 national and international publications and has been principal researcher in 19 projects and contracts. She is former Vice-president of the International Development Ethics Association and Extraordinary Professor of the University of the Free State, South Africa. She has been visiting researcher in African, American and European universities.