About PaFo

Participation procedures and processes in research organizations. Impact on research agendas and challenges for the (further) development of transdisciplinary methods (PaFo)

Understanding participation, researching impact.

PaFo investigates how citizen participation changes science and how societal impact becomes visible, measurable and shapeable. We analyze how citizen dialogues and other participation formats have an impact on research, politics and society. This is not about supporting individual projects as a service, but about a critical and reflective scientific examination of impact.

Anyone who takes citizen participation seriously must systematically research its impact.

Basic idea behind PaFo

PaFo asks how participation shapes research.
  • What perspectives do citizens contribute from their everyday lives?
  • How do researchers react to this?
  • What new topics, findings or irritations arise?

We do not see participation as a "nice addition", but as a potential trigger for scientific change. For us, understanding impact means making these changes visible.

Impact on research processes

Participation formats are being used more and more frequently.

However, they often remain symbolic or decorative without really influencing research. This is precisely where PaFo comes in and investigates whether participation changes research agendas, generates new topics or triggers methodological innovations. Our research shows: Impact is created where science is willing to be irritated, questioned and challenged.

The impact matrix

At the heart of this is the impact matrix — an analytical tool that shows how participation can have an effect.
Impact matrix
Vorschau der Wirkungsmatrix
  • epistemic (knowledge)
  • political (framework)
  • social (networks)
  • discursive (debates)
  • reflexive (self-criticism and orientation)

It captures planned (intentional) and unplanned (emergent) effects and shows that impact does not occur in a linear fashion, but often only becomes visible in reverberations, in new collaborations or through changed perspectives.

Go to the matrix

Scientific context

PaFo ties in with current KIT initiatives on science and social impact and provides empirical foundations for the responsible, dialog-oriented and socially relevant further development of research.
We investigate how participation can influence research - and when it does not.
In this way, PaFo contributes to fulfilling KIT's claim to credible social impact.

Who PaFo concerns

Researchers
PaFo offers methodological and theoretical tools to systematically understand participation and impact in research processes.

KIT Management
The matrix shows how participation influences research agendas and decisions - and where resonance or discontinuities arise.

Helmholtz - BMBF (German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space) - Science policy
PaFo strengthens the reflection of scientific responsibility and offers an example of applied impact research in a research network.

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