Involved PhD research – a case study between agronomy and social sciences

In research projects based on questions which emerge from practice and from interactions with different stakeholders, researchers engage with research partners in a cooperative and interdisciplinary approach. In PhD projects, including a diverse network of partners and interdisciplinarity may be challenged by the short duration of the projects and by the positivist and reductionist approaches in which students are initially trained. Based on a concrete PhD research project on small-scale organic seed production, the objective of this work is to elucidate how interdisciplinarity and an action-base can nevertheless gradually be integrated by PhD students into an approach best termed as involved research. Reflection on the roles of partners, their involvement, motivation and points of view and on the evolution of questions posed during interactions between students and stakeholders contributes to recognizing the role of each partner, situating research postures, and identifying the types of knowledge and transformations produced. While PhD students and their research projects can evolve towards more holistic and constructivist approaches, it is crucial to maintain opportunities for reflection during their research in order to realize the potentials of involving all those involved in the projects and produce effective social learning processes.