Normalizing failure: when things go wrong in participatory marine social science fieldwork

Cvitanovic, Christopher; Putten, Ingrid van; Tuohy, P; Annand-Jones, R

doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsac153

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Closely linked with the importance of embracing discomfort and conflict and making explicit the fallibility of science, is the need to consider failure in marine biodiversity research. Failure is a critical aspect of any research endeavour, but scientists are often discouraged or even stigmatised from openly discussing this in their work (Cvitanovic et al, 2022). Assessing conservation project publications, Catalano et al (2019) find that it is rare to find reports of failure, despite the opportunities these could create in providing a repository of lessons learned for future research.…”

Section: We Can Only Address Knowledge Hierarchies By Embracing Aspec...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The limited attention to failure can also be extrapolated from the case studies presented in this paper (Section 4), and the authors feel we are usually encouraged to report on our successes and impact but rarely asked to expand on our failures and shortcomings. Reflecting on the importance of normalising and learning from failure in marine social science, Cvitanovic et al (2022) provide several considerations and actionable steps to better navigate and overcome failure. This includes communicating uncertainties prior to fieldwork, sharing emotions during research collaborations and even 'phone a friend' to discuss feelings of stress and pressure, and debrief with collaborators as a group to process aspects that may have gone wrong or not according to plan (Cvitanovic et al, 2022).…”

Section: We Can Only Address Knowledge Hierarchies By Embracing Aspec...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reflecting on the importance of normalising and learning from failure in marine social science, Cvitanovic et al (2022) provide several considerations and actionable steps to better navigate and overcome failure. This includes communicating uncertainties prior to fieldwork, sharing emotions during research collaborations and even 'phone a friend' to discuss feelings of stress and pressure, and debrief with collaborators as a group to process aspects that may have gone wrong or not according to plan (Cvitanovic et al, 2022). Enabling and even promoting humility within scientific practice through an openness to failure, not only strengthens science but also invites question and critique from those outside of the 'black box', a process essential to achieve appropriate, fair, and effective integration of knowledge.…”

Section: We Can Only Address Knowledge Hierarchies By Embracing Aspec...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Reflections on the past, present, and potential futures of knowledge hierarchies in ocean biodiversity governance research

Niner,

Wilson,

Hoareau

et al. 2024

Front. Mar. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Governance of the ocean and its biodiversity is deeply entangled within social, political and cultural histories. The evolution of marine science has been subject to similar influences, and we (the authors) consider these factors to create, embed and reinforce knowledge hierarchies in ocean governance processes and associated research that set societal patterns of prioritisation and exclusion. Such knowledge hierarchies have constructed dominant Western-oriented knowledge systems as ‘rational’ and ‘objective’ approaches to environmental governance in contrast to non-Western knowledge systems and have led to a dominance of natural (normal) sciences over centralised biodiversity governance. The extraction and incorporation of traditional knowledge into the Western-oriented scientific canon through myriad historical and contemporary processes in ocean biodiversity governance often reproduce knowledge hierarchies, do not benefit knowledge holders and are often considered incomplete, inappropriate or absent. As we address current ocean biodiversity and conservation challenges, researchers must be aware of the history of knowledge extraction, impositions and assumptions within their fields. Researchers must also actively acknowledge and address these histories in their work to avoid marginalisation and support ethical, empathetic, and rigorous knowledge production that meets the needs of society. In this paper, through a development of the concept of knowledge hierarchies, we explore case studies of research diverse in geography and discipline ranging from action research in Namibia, the application of arts-based methodologies in legal proceedings to research focused at an international level, and the concept of ocean literacies, all of which are located under the umbrella of a project specifically targeting transformative ocean governance. It becomes evident that knowledge hierarchies are multi-layered, perpetuating, and often reproduced even when attempting to address hierarchies through such methods as the integration or ‘bringing together’ of diverse knowledge systems. Effective change will therefore require sensitive and multi-faceted approaches to knowledge hierarchies, including processes of embracing discomfort, which will be important to work with, as well as through. While there will be continued tensions between hierarchies, it is a sine qua non that researchers need to build a commitment to understanding where powers lie, rather than ignoring such imbalances or, similarly, by idealising approaches.

show abstract

Section: We Can Only Address Knowledge Hierarchies By Embracing Aspec...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: We Can Only Address Knowledge Hierarchies By Embracing Aspec...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: We Can Only Address Knowledge Hierarchies By Embracing Aspec...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Reflections on the past, present, and potential futures of knowledge hierarchies in ocean biodiversity governance research

Niner,

Wilson,

Hoareau

et al. 2024

Front. Mar. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…By identifying these challenges and considering ways to overcome them, we aim to offer insights about the implementation of best practices when delivering collaborative monitoring programs. In doing so, we join other researchers who are advocating for more studies to present and critically analyse failures and challenges within research projects to improve scientific outcomes and the well-being of the research community and partners (Cvitanovic et al, 2022). Although we present a case involving scientists from the Department of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Inuit partners in remote communities, we believe that the challenges and insights presented could apply to other research groups working within large and regulated organizations, including academia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Collaboration between local Indigenous and visiting non‐Indigenous researchers: Practical challenges and insights from a long‐term environmental monitoring program in the Canadian Arctic

Richard

Gilchrist

Hennin

et al. 2023

Ecol Sol and Evidence

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There is a growing appreciation for the value of collaborative research projects involving local Indigenous and visiting non‐Indigenous researchers. Examples of such partnerships are now numerous and diverse, and best practices and respectful approaches have been well presented, including the five priorities of the National Inuit Strategy on Research (NISR) defined by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami in Canada. However, the application of best practices remains challenging, and examples of ‘on‐the‐ground’ implementation remain scarce in the literature. We present a practical case study in which scientists from the Federal Department of Environment and Climate Change Canada and Inuit have co‐delivered a multidecade‐long monitoring program of nesting common eider ducks Somateria mollissima in the Arctic. We review our experience as southern‐based government researchers in this collaboration. We reflect on successes and, more importantly, on the practical challenges that prevent the full implementation of best practices in our program. First, we highlight challenges to co‐designing a data collection protocol that combines both Indigenous and Western scientific methods. We show how combining the strengths of Inuit Knowledge and rigorous random sampling design has led to a more powerful approach to eider population monitoring. Second, we review how the federal government's administrative approaches are poorly suited for employing seasonal Indigenous workers living in remote communities, particularly in Canada. We argue that to deliver respectful employment and payment practices, the financial and hiring administration of collaborative projects must be based at the community level. Finally, we show how sociocultural factors have made it challenging to ensure the safety of all field workers consistently. To increase their perceived value and uptake, we suggest that safety guidelines must be co‐designed by visiting researchers and local partners for each project to ensure that they are appropriate to the local culture, field conditions, and the nature of the fieldwork. Based on our experience, we draw attention to gaps that still exist between the best practices of collaborative research and factors that hamper their practical implementation. We invite other research teams to do the same so that, collectively, we can improve collaborative approaches nationally and internationally.

show abstract

“…Many of the participants shared that CEDC normalizes failure and continuously encourages students to move on from their failures and that they felt CEDC encouraged them to step out of their comfort zones in ways that they would not have on their own. This is a skill many graduate schools seek to implement within their professional training, however few undergraduates outside of this program have experience and discussion surrounding the topic 17, 18 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The educational benefits of operating a service-learning course as a corporate structure: lessons learned through CEDC

Boyd,

Vaughn,

Plumblee

et al.

2024 South East Section Meeting Proceedings

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Normalizing failure: when things go wrong in participatory marine social science fieldwork

Cited by 8 publications

References 36 publications

Reflections on the past, present, and potential futures of knowledge hierarchies in ocean biodiversity governance research

Reflections on the past, present, and potential futures of knowledge hierarchies in ocean biodiversity governance research

Collaboration between local Indigenous and visiting non‐Indigenous researchers: Practical challenges and insights from a long‐term environmental monitoring program in the Canadian Arctic

The educational benefits of operating a service-learning course as a corporate structure: lessons learned through CEDC

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About