Ninth annual review

By Gabriele Bammer.

This is the ninth annual “state of the blog” review.

As we wrap up another year of i2Insights, what are the key issues to reflect on in our nine year history? What have been the highlights of year nine? What changes are underway or planned?

Moving forward globally

A key issue to reflect on in our nine year history is how well i2Insights is achieving its goal of being a global resource. In tackling complex problems through Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S), transdisciplinarity, systems thinking, action research, post-normal science or other approaches, I have always thought that we have a unique opportunity to advance globally, combining experience from around the world. This would make us different from most disciplines and fields, which were first established in the Global North and then exported to the Global South. Approaches to tackling complex problems are mostly young enough or not institutionalised enough or both, so that becoming established at the same time in the Global South and Global North is still possible.

Indeed because context is so different by country and complex problem, and because context matters, it is hard to see any alternative to learning and progressing together. That’s not to say that it is easy or even straight-forward, given the imbalance in financial and institutional resources. On the other hand, commitment to tackling complex societal and environmental problems is universal and there is also no lack of inventiveness and expertise in doing so.

A range of statistics shows that i2Insights is making progress and also that there is still a lot to do. Of the 59 countries represented in i2Insights:

• 54% are high income countries,
• 20% upper-middle income countries,
• 20% lower-middle income countries and
• 5% are low income counties.

The corresponding figures at the end of 2019 were 64%, 21%, 15% and 0.

However, if the number of blog posts published is taken into account, the figures are much less encouraging:

• 91% of blog posts had first authors from high income countries, and 85% of the other authors were from high income countries,
• 6% of blog posts had first authors from upper-middle income countries and 8% of other authors from those countries
• 3% of blog posts had first authors from lower-middle income countries and 4% of other authors from those countries
• 1% of blog posts had first authors from low income countries and 3% of other authors from those countries.

Unsurprisingly, viewership follows a similar trend, with most views by readers in high income countries and least by readers in low income countries. Over the lifetime of i2Insights (to end 2023) there have been views from all but 2 of the 193 countries represented at the United Nations. The two countries with no viewers are African Central Republic and San Marino. The median lifetime views and range are:

• from high income countries: median 1871, range 0 – 303,390
• from upper-middle income countries: median 285, range 1 – 42,910
• from lower-middle income countries: median 366, range 1 – 49,534
• from low income countries: median 155, range 0 – 5,090.

Finally in 2024, 22% of contributions included authors who are Indigenous or based in the Global South (an all-time high), notably:

• Knowledge translation and multilingualism by Chalani Ranwala
• Challenges in knowledge translation: a Global South perspective by Fajri Siregar
• Navigating the complexities of decolonizing knowledge production by Alemu Tesfaye
• Weaving knowledge systems: Honouring Indigenous knowledge by Chels Marshall, Rosalie Chapple and Joanne Wilson
• Why scientific knowledge needs to be decolonised by Alemu Tesfaye
• Embracing Afro-centric philosophies to decolonize research by Truphena Mukuna
• Three lessons for mainstreaming transdisciplinarity by Lisa Andrews, Bárbara Willaarts, Andreas Panagopoulos, Radhika Kanade, Nelson Odume, Bodil Ankjær Nielsen and Ingrīda Brēmere
• Three spaces of change for reorienting North-South research partnerships by Geetika Khanduja, Peter Taylor, Andrea Ordóñez, Erica Nelson and Tracy Mamoun
• Breaking boundaries: Transforming research with co-production and bridging knowledge systems by Truphena E. Mukuna and Alemu Tesfaye Shekunte
• Epistemic justice and its relevance to transdisciplinary research by Sarah Cummings, Charles Dhewa, Gladys Kemboi, Stacey Young and Mike Powell
• Fostering transdisciplinary research in the Global South: Lessons for funders by Flurina Schneider, Zarina Patel, Katsia Paulavets, Tobias Buser, Jacqueline Kado and Stefanie Burkhart

Highlights for 2024

Eight of the 2024 i2Insights contributions have been viewed more than 700 times and two (25%) of these contributions were written by an author from the Global South or included an Indigenous author. They are:

• Navigating the complexities of decolonizing knowledge production by Alemu Tesfaye (1506 views)
• Learning to use Appreciative Inquiry by Rachel Arnold (1245 views)
• Why is it so hard to agree on definitions of interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity? by Gabriele Bammer (927 views)
• Weaving knowledge systems: Honouring Indigenous knowledge by Chels Marshall, Rosalie Chapple and Joanne Wilson (873 views)
• Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S) 3.0: An updated framework to foster expertise for tackling complex problems by Gabriele Bammer (781 views)
• Mindset matters for interdisciplinary teams: Choose a collaborative one by L. Michelle Bennett (745 views)
• Towards fair transdisciplinary collaborations that honour epistemic justice by Annisa Triyanti, Barbara van Paassen, Corinne Lamain, Jessica Duncan, Jillian Student, Jonas Collen Ladeia Torrens and Nina de Roo (732 views)
• Structured dialogical design by Yiannis Laouris (717 views)

Changes underway or planned

We are in the process of adding more information about Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S) to the i2Insights website, see https://i2insights.org/i2s/. The aim is to make it easier for those interested in i2S to access information about it.

Starting in January 2025, we will no longer promote i2Insights contributions on the platform X (formerly Twitter). Although several organisations and individuals interested in i2Insights are still active on X, there has been a marked drop-off in referrals to i2Insights from that platform. We will continue to focus promotion efforts on LinkedIn.

We would welcome help in promoting i2Insights content on other social media platforms on a regular or occasional basis. If you can assist, please get in touch.

Finally, we are taking a break until January 14, and there’s already a great line-up of contributions when we return. If you have a concept, method, framework or other tool to share, don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Acknowledgements: i2Insights would not exist without Peter Deane, who carefully manages all the technical aspects, provides a wise sounding board and generally infuses the production of i2Insights with good sense, informed by his own interests both in transdisciplinarity and related approaches, and in providing the best possible experience for i2Insights readers. It also would not exist without you – the authors, commenters and readers. Many thanks!

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Statement: Generative artificial intelligence was not used in the development of this i2Insights contribution. (For i2Insights policy on generative artificial intelligence please see https://i2insights.org/contributing-to-i2insights/guidelines-for-authors/#artificial-intelligence.)

Biography: Gabriele Bammer PhD is Professor of Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S) at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at The Australian National University in Canberra. i2S provides theory and methods for tackling complex societal and environmental problems, especially for developing a more comprehensive understanding in order to generate fresh insights and ideas for action, supporting improved policy and practice responses by government, business and civil society, and effective interactions between disciplinary and stakeholder experts. She is the inaugural President of the Global Alliance for Inter- and Transdisciplinarity (2023-25).