In recent years, participatory research has expanded considerably in the
context of renewed interest in forging links between science and society. While
first centered on issues of research methodology, participatory science has
evolved towards a comprehensive institutional approach. Today, participatory
science programs, open science and crowdsourcing initiatives, action research,
post-normal science and citizen science research projects are increasingly
widespread. The work of John Dewey (1927), Kurt Lewin and Talcott Parsons
(1965) and Paolo Freire -- through his contribution to the development of
community-based participatory research -- laid the foundations of participatory
science as a research paradigm characterized by significant researcher
engagement, diversity of knowledge sources and a participatory framework which
itself becomes a source of action.
Over the past twenty years, such research methodologies have posited the
principle of knowledge symmetry and have sought to foster dialogue between
so-called "scholarly," scientific or academic knowledge, so-called
"expert" or analogical knowledge and "experiential"
knowledge (Gardien, 2017, Amaré, Valran, 2017). This movement, which originated
in late 19th-century environmental science research (botany, zoology,
geography) for which citizen-collected data proved to be highly valuable, has
now become a global phenomenon.
Democratic utopia? innovation? social imperative? Participatory research
raises questions about the value accorded to different forms of knowledge as
well as the value ascribed to knowledge co-constructed through participatory
exchange. Participatory science postulates that knowledge arising from the convergence
of different cognitive worlds transcends division and allows access to a more
complete understanding of societal phenomena (Le Crosnier et al., 2013, Amaré
et al., 2017). Some scholars have also pointed out the social usefulness of
participatory science and its profoundly political and action-oriented nature
(Billaud et al., 2017).
Beyond these considerations, participatory research practices raise
questions and issues surrounding scientific methodology, the usefulness of
science in society, the place of researchers and the role given to laymen in
the process of knowledge construction (Ravon, 2015, Callon, 1989, Bacqué,
Biewerner 2015). Conversely, participatory research brings to the fore the
issue of scientific research as anchored in social reality and as a response to
social demands. Finally, the key notions of empowerment and participation,
which are directly linked to participatory practices, have provided
perspectives for research based upon citizen engagement.
Such participatory approaches have had a significant impact on
information and communication sciences. Some scholars have explored the
processes of popularizing or translating scientific discourse (Yves Jeanneret,
Joëlle le Marec, Igor Babou). Martin’s research (2007) focusses on issues of public
participation in environmental decision-making involving native communities. By
specifically addressing questions of transparency, dialogue and spaces for
discussion, Martin’s work has shed light on the communicative processes used
for reaching compromise through participatory exchange. Hamilton (2008) has
worked on issues of convergence and divergence with regard to nuclear weapons
and their environmental impact. Walker (2004) has studied environmental
collaboration and conflict resolution. Philippe Roqueplo (1988), using the
example of acid rain, has addressed the issues of stakeholder involvement,
controversy and conflict. Nicole d'Almeida and François Allard Huver (2014)
have developed a reflection on the dramaturgy of risk, while Bolin's work deals
with the history of meteorology and climate change as linked to public opinion
(Bolin, 2007). Other studies have focused on how communication processes create
conditions for changing perceptions of climate change (Bostrom and Laschof,
2007; Brisse, Oreske and O'Reilly, 2013).
More specifically, with regard to information and communication
sciences, we seek to address the following issues:
- To what extent does research carried out with lay people rather than only with peers call into question principles of scientific rigor, veracity or validity?
- How does co-constructed research articulate social needs as expressed by public institutions or local authorities with the principles of scientific independence?
- To what extent is this type of research a reflection of researchers’ commitment, whether it be political or social? Is such commitment explicit, or should it be? How do researchers "recruit" non-scientific participants? What conditions do researchers impose upon participants to ensure that research is carried out successfully?
- What discourses and communication devices are mobilized? What semantic and ideological constructs and what justifications can be observed? What "ethos" of the citizen (or amateur) researcher is created?
- With regard to implemented methodologies, do the issues of transparency and communication become more necessary or more important?
- What approaches have been developed to accompany action research?
Review process
All submissions will go through a two-part review process: submission of
a 1500-2000 word abstract which should include a presentation of objectives and
principle arguments, explain the originality of the paper and provide key
bibliographical references; for selected abstracts, a second evaluation will be
carried on completed articles.
Instructions to authors are available on the journal's website.
Proposals will be peer-reviewed according a double-blind reviewing
process. Abstracts should be sent by 15 April 2020 in Word (.docx) or OpenDocument
(.odt) format to the following addresses:
celine.pascual@univ-amu.fr
andrea.catellani@uclouvain.be
beatrice.jalenques-vigouroux@insa-toulouse.fr
Paper proposals and final papers (35,000 characters including spaces,
footnotes and bibliography) may be submitted in English or in French. No
commitment to publication can be made until the full text has been read.
Important Dates
April 15, 2020: abstract submission deadline
May 15, 2020: notification of acceptance or refusal
September 15, 2020: deadline for submission of the complete version of
articles
December 15, 2020: deadline for receipt of final version
June 2021: publication of articles in Études de Communication thematic
issue n° 56
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