We report news about i2Insights here. For general information about i2Insights blog and repository see the ‘About’ page.
March 12, 2024 Introducing “Editor’s additions” and reactivating the carousel. (Editor’s addition: The carousel was deactivated again on March 18.) This week we published the first contributions in a new category of Editor’s additions.
Although i2Inisghts is founded on contributions from the global community of researchers, students and – occasionally – practitioners tackling complex societal and environmental problems, there are times when we, as curators, cannot find authors for tools that would be useful additions to the i2Insights repository. We recognise that not everyone wants to or is able to contribute to i2Insights, and the originators of some classic tools have retired or died. We have therefore decided to introduce a new category of blog posts – “Editor’s additions” – which are accounts of such tools, written by people who are not associated with their development.
The first two-part “Editor’s Addition” post was published this week, namely companion blog posts on systems thinking competencies produced by editor, Gabriele Bammer, based on documentation from the UK Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (no date) https://i2insights.org/2024/03/12/systems-thinking-competencies-part-1/ and
https://i2insights.org/2024/03/12/systems-thinking-competencies-part-2/.
Who can write an “Editor’s Addition?”
While we envisage that most of these blog posts will be written by the two of us who curate i2Insights, we welcome other contributions and invite anyone who wants to share a relevant tool to get in touch.
Some history
For long-term followers of i2S and i2Insights, some historical context may also be helpful. Previously, we would write up and publish such tools in a different repository on the main i2S website. Now that we have dismantled that repository that option is no longer available. What’s more, there are still several tools from that repository that the “Editor’s Addition” option will allow us to include in i2Insights.
March 6, 2024. i2Insights reaches 1 million views!
This is actually a belated milestone as i2Insights reached a million views sometime in 2023. By the end of 2023 there were more than 1.3 million views.
January 9, 2024. Just published – our 500th blog post! And it’s the first from Sri Lanka! See https://i2insights.org/2024/01/09/knowledge-translation-and-multilingualism/. More great posts coming.
We already have an inspiring line-up for 2024. More contributions are welcome! See https://i2insights.org/contributing-to-i2insights/guidelines-for-authors/. And do also feel free to comment on posts if you have additional perspectives. See https://i2insights.org/contributing-to-i2insights/guidelines-for-commenters/.
December 12, 2023. Last i2Insights contribution for 2023 published today (8th annual review). Next new contribution will be on January 9, 2024 (Australian time).
We have a great line-up to start the year including our 500th contribution first up. Contributions and comments are always welcome. And there are lots of great contributions to catch-up on while the team takes a break. You can scroll through the list of all posts or through the blog scroll. If you are interested in a particular topic, the index or advanced search will help you find what has been contributed.
November 25, 2023: i2Insights turns 8 today! 496 contributions and 649 authors from 54 countries. Although i2Insights was set up in May 2015, the regular publication of blog posts started on 25 November and we haven’t looked back since.
November 20, 2023. The two latest contributions are featured in a “rotator” at the top of the webpage. This will be turned off again on Nov 27.
Two companion blog posts by Edgar Cardenas, L. Michelle Bennett and Michael O’Rourke will be published on November 21 and they will be featured in the “rotator” at the top of the webpage. The rotator will be turned off again before the next new blog post is published on November 28.
If you hover your mouse on the rotator it will not rotate.
November 2, 2023: Oct-Dec 2023 i2S News is just out! Features i2Insights contributions from sub-Sarahan Africa and much more. See https://i2s.anu.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-10_i2S-news.pdf
September 27, 2023: Please let us know if you find anything on this website that’s not working as it should. Maintenance undertaken this morning has interfered with the structure of parts of this website. We have fixed all the problems we are aware of, but there’s a chance that others have crept in.
August 11, 2023: Just out! July-September Integration & Implementation Sciences (i2S) News: https://i2s.anu.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023-07_i2S-news.pdf
This edition highlights contributions to i2Insights blog and repository on decolonisation by kate harriden, Maru Mormina & Romina Istratii, Peter Taylor & Crystal Tremblay and Ellen Lewis & Anne Stephens. It also features a seminar by Sabine Hoffmann on establishing career paths for integrators in inter- and trans-disciplinary research, as well as news about an active working group on Integration Experts and Expertise, which is part of the Global Alliance for Inter- and Transdisciplinarity (ITD-Alliance).
June 2, 2023: Just out! April-June Integration & Implementation Sciences (i2S) News: https://i2s.anu.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023-04_i2S-news.pdf.
This edition highlights contributions to i2Insights blog and repository on improving modelling by Andrea Saltelli, Sondoss Elsawah, Elena Bakhanova, Raimo P. Hämäläinen, Alexey Voinov and Vincent de Gooyert. It also features seminar by Alex Haslam on effective leadership of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary projects, programs & research organisations.
April 12, 2023: Check out the January – March Integration & Implementation Sciences (i2S) News https://i2s.anu.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023-01_i2S-news.pdf.
It highlights one of the stand-out seminars for 2022 by Fiji’s Professor Upolu Luma Vaai. He argues that transdisciplinarity is not a new concept for Pasifika communities, demonstrating how the indigenous philosophy of relationality has shaped transboundary thinking and praxis for centuries, and how it would assist in creating a ‘whole of life’ education approach.
i2S News also highlights system thinking tools featured in i2Insights, including the “golden oldies” of: viable system model, critical system heuristics, DPSIR framework, system dynamics modelling and more. Newer featured systems thinking tools are: critical back-casting, DSRP theory, human learning systems, GEMS framework and systems leadership.
February 20, 2023: Latest i2Insights stats include 449 contributions by 565 authors from 47 countries. Viewers from 190 of 193 countries. Median lifetime views is 800, with more than 300,000 views at upper end of range.
These are the statistics to end December 2022. To see the full analysis: https://i2insights.org/about/i2insights-statistics/.
January 17, 2023: It is with great sadness that I relay the news that i2Insights Ambassador, Julie Thompson Klein, died on January 15. A towering figure in research and education in interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity, Julie also nurtured colleagues at all levels of seniority around the world.
Where possible, she supported our endeavours, contributing written pieces and talks, and tirelessly making connections. I am grateful for her support of Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S) and i2Insights. Julie’s contributions to i2Insights can be found at https://i2insights.org/author-tag/julie-thompson-klein/
Julie eschewed tributes, but did allow a special issue of Issues in Interdisciplinary Studies titled: The Work of Julie Thompson Klein: Engaging, Extending, and Reflecting. A blog post based on one of the papers in that special issue that summarises some of her legacy can be found at: https://i2insights.org/2020/04/14/diversity-in-research-impact/
The message sent by her husband, George Klein was: Julie Thompson Klein, whose work in interdisciplinary theory and practice is well known and influential, passed away on Sunday, January 15, 2023, after an intense battle with cancer. I am still trying to deal with the sudden new reality of this, and I realize the vast number of her personal and professional contacts around the world is beyond my ability to capture. So please feel free to pass on this information to anyone who would want to know. At some point yet to be determined there will be a celebration of Julie’s life.
I’ll provide details of the celebration of Julie’s life when they are to hand. (Note on 12 December 2023; it seems that no public celebration was held.)
January 10, 2023: Great line-up of new posts for 2023. Starts today!
Click on the “follow” button under “Get notifications about new posts” in the right hand column on any page to be notified via e-mail as soon as a new contribution is published.
December 21, 2022: Next new i2Insights contribution will be published on January 10, 2023 (Australian time). We have a great line-up to start the year. Contributions are always welcome. And there are lots of great contributions to catch-up on while the team takes a break. You can scroll through the list of all posts or through the blog scroll. If you are interested in a particular topic, the index or advanced search will help you find what has been contributed.
December 5, 2022: Re-indexing i2Insights is complete! In January 2020 we developed an index for i2Insights, with definitions for each of the terms used (thanks to Caryn Anderson for her advice on this!). In addition to using (and expanding) the index going forward, we also set ourselves the task of re-indexing all the contributions published between 2015 and 2019, which involved reviewing the tags assigned to them and defining tags that were not already included in the index. This task was completed in December 2022. As resources become available in future, we’ll look at how the index can be improved.
November 23, 2022: Check out Oct-Dec Integration & Implementation Sciences (i2S) News https://i2s.anu.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022-10_i2S-news.pdf. It highlights activities in Armenia, Georgia, India & Brazil & their importance for building a global community – each country’s perspectives, experience & wisdom enhance every country’s ability to better address complex problems. Other highlights are new videos: a video primer on understanding diversity, Margaret Palmer on leading interdisciplinary organisations, Sabine Hoffmann on integrating the integrator, Pips Veazey on reimagining research & Melanie Bauer on research development professionals.
October 18, 2022: Latest i2Insights statistics show that there have been 552 authors from 47 countries. We are continuing to work on attracting authors from a greater range of countries – if you are interested in contributing, do get in touch. The median views of blog posts over their lifetime continues to increase and is currently 781, with the upper end of the range at more than 270K views.
June 29, 2022: Now that the understanding diversity primer is published, we’re back to publishing one blog post per week. Carousel deactivated. In fact we’re actually thinking of taking a couple of weeks off. More soon.
April 21, 2022: Back to publishing two blog posts per week, with a new primer on understanding diversity. It also means we’ve reactivated the carousel at the top of the home page.
April 12, 2022: Steady increase in views of blog posts in first 3 months after publication from 313 in 2016, to 565 in 2019, to 642 in 2021. See https://i2insights.org/about/i2insights-statistics/ for more on how the blog is progressing. These statistics have now been updated to the end of March 2022.
April 6, 2022: New primer pages, with blog statistics moved. We have developed new pages to showcase the primers, with the stakeholder engagement primer being the first featured. We have also moved the blog statistics page from its position in the main menu to a new location under “about.”
March 18, 2022: Check out the new layout for “authors,” “list of all posts,” “list of terms with definitions” and “blog news.” Great work by Peter Deane on the idea and the implementation, including on responsive design. If there are other ways we can make the blog more useable let us know. We aim to do what we can, within our limited resources.
January 21, 2022: i2Insights blog is read in 188 countries! See https://i2insights.org/about/i2insights-statistics/ for more on how the blog is progressing. These statistics have now been updated to the end of December 2021.
January 12, 2022: Check out the 2021 blog highlights at https://i2insights.org/2021/12/21/sixth-annual-review/, including the 11 most viewed posts:. We look forward to your contributions in 2022!
December 22, 2021: Next blog post will be published on January 11 (Australian time). We have a great line-up to start the year and contributions are always welcome.
October 19, 2021: New milestone: 500 authors! Silvio Funtowicz is the 500th author to contribute to the blog. See the author list at https://i2insights.org/authors/.
November 9, 2021: The above headline is not correct as there was double-counting of group authorship. The milestone was reached today with Robert Hacku as the 500th author.
October 12, 2021: Median views of blog posts over their lifetime is now more than 700. See the latest blog statistics at https://i2insights.org/about/i2insights-statistics/. Every three months we review how the blog is progressing in strengthening a global network of researchers who share ways of better understanding and acting on complex societal and environmental problems. The statistics to end September 2021 are now available.
September 30, 2021: We have added “teamwork” as a new main topic in categories, and removed the previous main topic “participation” – see https://i2insights.org/index/additional-information-about-the-index/. Where appropriate, blog posts categorised under “participation” have been reindexed under “stakeholder engagement” and/or “teamwork.”
September 13, 2021: We have added “stakeholder engagement” as a new main topic in categories, and removed the previous main topic “stakeholders” – see https://i2insights.org/index/additional-information-about-the-index/. Where appropriate, blog posts categorised under “stakeholders” have been reindexed under “stakeholder engagement.”
September 2, 2021: We have implemented a carousel at the top of the home page. This allows two blog posts to be featured for a week, which is important when we publish two rather than one post in a week. Feedback welcome (eg is it rotating too fast).
September 2, 2021: We are implementing a carousel today. Please bear with us if there are disruptions. The reason for the carousel is that when we publish two blog posts in a week, it allows both to be featured at the top of the home page for a whole week.
August 26, 2021: Blog posts from September International Transdisciplinarity conference. Starting today and for the next two weeks we’ll be publishing a second blog post each week that provides a taste of the presentations that will be available online at the 2021 International Transdisciplinarity conference (September 13-17) – see: https://transdisciplinarity.ch/de/veranstaltungen/itd-conferences/itd-conference-2021/
August 23, 2021: Update on indexing the blog. We are steadily working our way though defining the terms used, but we’re not finished yet. In addition, we’re changing two of the categories. The categories “participation” and “stakeholders” are being phased out, and “stakeholder engagement” and “team work” are being phased in.
August 6, 2021: We have changed which posts we highlight on the bottom of the home page. We were highlighting posts on specific topics such as education, participation and integration. Now we are highlighting posts re-advertised in the last month. These are usually 2-3 years old, but still very relevant and worth reminding viewers about.
July 16, 2021: 435 authors from 42 countries have contributed blog posts, with first time contributors in 2021 from Belgium, Bolivia, Egypt and Turkey. See the latest blog statistics to end June 2021.
July 6, 2021: Blog post leads to Nature article! Congratulations to Katrin Prager whose blog post “Do we need diversity science?” led to an invitation to write a career column “Seek diversity to solve complexity” for the prestigious journal Nature.
July 1, 2021: We’re updating the advanced search ‘tag selector.’ This will cause some temporary disruptions on July 1 through July 8, 2021, so please bear with us. We are removing author names from the list of tags and putting them into their own list. If you notice any problems outside of the change-over dates, please let us know.
April 26, 2021: The blog index list of terms and definitions is now on BioPortal, under Integration and Implementation Sciences Vocabulary. BioPortal is “the world’s most comprehensive repository of biomedical ontologies.” We were delighted to be invited to contribute and anticipate that the i2Insights vocabulary will be useful for those undertaking interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, systems and related work on complex biomedical, social and environmental problems.
We have not yet completed the re-indexing process for blog posts published between 2015 and 2019, which involves reviewing the tags assigned to them and defining tags that are not already included in the index. The vocabulary on BioPortal will be updated when this is done.
March 10, 2021: Our most popular blog post tops 100K lifetime views! See: A guide to ontology, epistemology and philosophical perspectives for interdisciplinary researchers by Katie Moon and Deborah Blackman, which has now been viewed more than 100,000 times.
February 25, 2021: Have something to say? You don’t have be invited to contribute a blog post or comment. See our “guidelines for authors” and the new “guidelines for commenters.”
January 28, 2021: Double delight! New blog posts twice a week in February! We’ll be publishing great new contributions each Tuesday and Thursday (Australian time). You can get an e-mail notification each time a new blog post is published by “following” the blog (see the sidebar, sixth box down from the top).
December 22, 2020: We are having a break. Next blog post will be published on January 5, 2021.
November 17, 2020: Advanced Search option now available! Search on blog post titles and body text, category and tag text, and comments. Gives more exact outputs than the basic search option. Advanced search is located at: https://i2insights.org/advanced-search/ and in the sidebar.
November 5, 2020: The blog is 5 years old today! Thanks to everyone who has contributed to make it a success.
October 12, 2020: 373 authors from 36 countries have contributed blog posts; see the latest blog statistics to end September 2020.
August 14, 2020: We are half-way through reviewing and defining the tags used to index the blog posts. To see the completed tags (and categories), check out the list of terms with definitions.
July 14, 2020: 352 authors from 35 countries have contributed blog posts, see the latest blog statistics to end-June 2020.
May 23, 2020: We upgraded the i2Insights blog today. There is still some tidying up to do and that may mean the blog has to go offline again for short periods over the next few days.
May 14, 2020: We are planning to upgrade the i2Insights blog on Saturday May 23th and Sunday May 24th 2020, which means it will be unavailable for several hours on those days.
This is a major step in improving the look of the blog which unforeseen circumstances have caused us to delay a couple of times. Fingers crossed that we can proceed on our planned dates and that it goes smoothly. You may notice changes to some of the pages in the lead-up to May 23-24.
Changes inevitably produce glitches, so please bear with us. We would be grateful if you would let us know about any problems with this website that you come across.
We are currently also re-indexing the blog, working on the final large step of revising the ‘tags’. This is happening incrementally and we hope will be completed by the end of 2020. You can see what we’ve done so far on the ‘Index’ pages.
April 24, 2020: As described below, we had hoped to improve the look of the blog in the first quarter of 2020. While we have made substantial progress with preparations, this has not been possible, but we hope it will happen in the next few months. Work on the index is progressing as planned.
March 16, 2020: The index is temporarily unavailable. Fixed on 17 March 2020.
January 7, 2020: We have finished recategorising blog posts using ‘main topics.’ Resource types and main topics are two categories used to index each blog post. We are now in the process of updating the ‘tags’ used for each blog post, including providing definitions on the ‘Index’ page. The aim is to provide tags with definitions for each blog post as it is published in 2020 (and beyond) and to gradually revisit and update, where necessary, tags in past blog posts.
December 22, 2019: We have produced an index, with definitions and examples of the resource types that are used to describe the blog posts. Many thanks to Caryn Anderson for valuable advice in how to re-index the blog.
December 13, 2019: We have started recategorising blog posts, using the following ‘resource types’: cases, concepts, frameworks, methods, processes, state-of-the-blog, theories, toolkits.
December 9, 2019: In the November/December i2S News, we foreshadowed improving the look of the blog over the Christmas – New Year break. That has turned out not to be feasible because of circumstances beyond our control and we now plan to make the changes in the first quarter of 2020.