This is a study of the process of planning and implementing the Digital North Denmark programme (... more This is a study of the process of planning and implementing the Digital North Denmark programme (DDN) in the Danish region of North Denmark. The purpose of DDN (2000-2003) is to diffuse information technology in the region in a way that promotes innovation as well as a core set of societal values. The programme is funded by the Danish state (DKK 170m) and by the participating organisations (DKK 340m). The study focuses on the way in which actors were enrolled into the planning and management of the programme, the conflict between different interpretations of DDN, the organisation of programme design and the reasons for success in mobilising project applications. It is shown that the enrolment process was initiated through active, informal collaboration between three key actors in the region. This led to the establishment of a prestigious board of executives. There were three competing interpretations of what DDN policies should focus on: IT use, industrial innovation and research. A...
In 2004, the International Evaluation Panel of the Academy of Finland indicated that the Academy ... more In 2004, the International Evaluation Panel of the Academy of Finland indicated that the Academy should develop its research policies, evaluation systems, and organization to encourage more interdisciplinary research. One consequence of the Panel's recommendations was that the Academy commissioned this study from a research group comprised of the authors of this report. The objectives of the study were (1) to investigate to what extent and how the Academy had promoted interdisciplinary research in its annual General Research Grants in 1997, 2000, and 2004, and (2) to recommend how the Academy could improve its capabilities in fostering interdisciplinary research. The study is based on a qualitative analysis of research proposals from the three years, a survey of researchers, interviews with the Academy's presenting officials, a literature survey linking the empirical analysis to theoretical discussion concerning the concept of interdisciplinary research, its role in the production of new knowledge, related issues of assessment and institutional capacity, and science policy instruments on the basis of international and national experiences. Although the empirical data of this study are based on the General Research Grants only, the conclusions and recommendations have broader significance not just for Finland's science policy, but for interdisciplinary science policies internationally. In this report, we have combined our theoretical beliefs, existing empirical evidence about interdisciplinary research, and our empirical data on the General Research Grants. On the one hand, our analysis tells us that many pioneering funding agencies and programs, including the Academy of Finland, have to a considerable degree embraced the interdisciplinary nature of modern knowledge production. On the other hand, both the literature we have surveyed and the findings from our empirical study suggest that funding agencies have much to improve to tackle the complexity, contingency, and emergent discovery and novelty that characterizes much of interdisciplinary research today. To handle the complexities of interdisciplinary research in its policies and evaluation systems, funding agencies will need a combination of approaches and sources of information, including both direct and quantitative methods, and indirect modes of reflection and qualitative methods.
Scenario-making is a common method for anticipating technological and other kinds of futures. Thi... more Scenario-making is a common method for anticipating technological and other kinds of futures. This article discusses scenario-making from a methodological point of view. How do we cope with contingency, that is, the problem of not knowing what developmental trajectories in the present will turn out to determine future events? Two distinctions are suggested as tools for analyzing scenario-making strategies. The
Both funding agencies and scholars in science studies have become increasingly concerned with how... more Both funding agencies and scholars in science studies have become increasingly concerned with how to define and identify interdisciplinarity in research. The task is tricky, since the complexity of interdisciplinary research defies a single definition. Our study tackles this challenge by demonstrating a new typology and qualitative indicators for analyzing interdisciplinarity in research documents. The proposed conceptual framework attempts to fulfill the need for a robust and nuanced approach that is grounded in deeper knowledge of interdisciplinarity. As an example of using the framework, we discuss our empirical investigation of research proposals funded by a national funding agency in Finland.
The article provides an introduction to and a demonstration of the self-organizing map (SOM) meth... more The article provides an introduction to and a demonstration of the self-organizing map (SOM) method for organizational researchers interested in the use of qualitative data. The SOM is a versatile quantitative method very commonly used across many disciplines to analyze large data sets. The outcome of the SOM analysis is a map in which entities are positioned according to similarity. The authors' argument is that text mining using the SOM is particularly effective in improving inference quality within qualitative research. SOM creates multiple well-grounded perspectives on the data and thus improves the quality of the concepts and categories used in the analysis.
The method of constructing scenarios is neither straightforward nor unproblematic. We propose fir... more The method of constructing scenarios is neither straightforward nor unproblematic. We propose first of all the term epistemic closure for representing the necessary methodological limitations of scenario construction. Whenever a particular kind of epistemic closure becomes a habit within some field of scenario-making, we use the term conventional scenarios. The problem with conventional scenario-making is that its analysis of the future is restricted–it can only register the events and trends that its particular approach allows it to ...
Modern society is said to be a knowledge society. Yet the academic discourse on the topics of lea... more Modern society is said to be a knowledge society. Yet the academic discourse on the topics of learning and knowledge production is fragmented. In order to build bridges between different traditions, we review three discursive formations on contemporary knowledge production in science and innovation: the social shaping of science (SSS) discourse, the knowledge in innovation (KNOWINN) discourse and the analogy in science (ANALOG) discourse. We argue that the three discourses should be seen as complementary; and that a more comprehensive approach to the study of knowledge production in contemporary society can be developed by combining them. We illustrate this with an empirical example from the field of biotechnological science and innovation, and end the paper with a few proposals for fruitful ways of combining and juxtaposing the perspectives developed within the three discourses.
International Journal of Learning and Change, 2005
ABSTRACT Despite debate about how scientific knowledge production is in transition from Mode 1 to... more ABSTRACT Despite debate about how scientific knowledge production is in transition from Mode 1 to Mode 2, there has been little discussion of the implications for research education and its organisation in university departments. We have found that preparing new researchers for such transitional conditions requires a re-focusing of their training, with an emphasis on communication across epistemic boundaries and various other skills. After reviewing the debate about the hypothesis of a transition in Modes, we propose a distinction between Mode 1 and Mode 2 departments. Our main discussion considers the challenges for research education ensuing from a shift to the latter. Finally, the result is a list of concrete suggestions for renewing research education as a response to what we detect as increasingly prevalent, and demanding, Mode 2 conditions.
A theory of the embodiment of action is proposed. Reflections on relations between human intentio... more A theory of the embodiment of action is proposed. Reflections on relations between human intentions, the human body and the notion of agency lead us to argue that phenomenological analysis is not sufficient for such a theory. Our consideration, that the most fundamental level of embodied agency is that of life itself, brings us to the philosophy of biology and the theory of the organism: briefly, certain parts of the natural environment are intrinsic to the constitution of organisms and, in their more sophisticated configuration, as agents. Action is embodied in the sense that certain physiological processes are internal in relation to it and play a constitutive role in its performance. The way in which environment, context and consciousness affect and constitute the nature of agency at personal and sub-personal levels is elaborated. We see that human agents perceive and act upon their world through a complex shifting between those levels. A summary of the ways in which the social s...
We studied the emergence of biotechnology in Turku, Finland. First, we analysed it as a result of... more We studied the emergence of biotechnology in Turku, Finland. First, we analysed it as a result of the interaction between the city and its national and international environment, focusing on the city's industrial policy as the mediator. Second, we diagnosed the construction of BioCity, the first biotechnology centre building of Turku, as a key event: the conceptualisation and construction of BioCity required a new kind of collaboration between the city administration, the universities and various commercial actors. We argue that the systems approach to regional development needs to be complemented with approaches that focus on the regional mechanisms of adaptation.
This paper describes the study of the distribution and integration of knowledge in a small contro... more This paper describes the study of the distribution and integration of knowledge in a small control system development project called the Automation System for Agricultural Implements (AGRIX). The activity of integrating socially distributed knowledge is called knowledge networking. We distinguish between three modes of knowledge networking — modular, integral and translational — and argue that the project team's task-specific selection of a knowledge networking mode depends on the nature of the problem to be solved. We propose that groups tend to select different kinds of knowledge networking strategies, depending on whether the problem is perceived as well- or ill-defined. We found that the AGRIX team worked with well-defined problems in modular and translational ways, while treating ill-defined problems with integral knowledge networking. We also observed that, in the absence of major constraints, the networking mode co-evolved dynamically with the problem structure, even thou...
This is a study of the process of planning and implementing the Digital North Denmark programme (... more This is a study of the process of planning and implementing the Digital North Denmark programme (DDN) in the Danish region of North Denmark. The purpose of DDN (2000-2003) is to diffuse information technology in the region in a way that promotes innovation as well as a core set of societal values. The programme is funded by the Danish state (DKK 170m) and by the participating organisations (DKK 340m). The study focuses on the way in which actors were enrolled into the planning and management of the programme, the conflict between different interpretations of DDN, the organisation of programme design and the reasons for success in mobilising project applications. It is shown that the enrolment process was initiated through active, informal collaboration between three key actors in the region. This led to the establishment of a prestigious board of executives. There were three competing interpretations of what DDN policies should focus on: IT use, industrial innovation and research. A...
In 2004, the International Evaluation Panel of the Academy of Finland indicated that the Academy ... more In 2004, the International Evaluation Panel of the Academy of Finland indicated that the Academy should develop its research policies, evaluation systems, and organization to encourage more interdisciplinary research. One consequence of the Panel's recommendations was that the Academy commissioned this study from a research group comprised of the authors of this report. The objectives of the study were (1) to investigate to what extent and how the Academy had promoted interdisciplinary research in its annual General Research Grants in 1997, 2000, and 2004, and (2) to recommend how the Academy could improve its capabilities in fostering interdisciplinary research. The study is based on a qualitative analysis of research proposals from the three years, a survey of researchers, interviews with the Academy's presenting officials, a literature survey linking the empirical analysis to theoretical discussion concerning the concept of interdisciplinary research, its role in the production of new knowledge, related issues of assessment and institutional capacity, and science policy instruments on the basis of international and national experiences. Although the empirical data of this study are based on the General Research Grants only, the conclusions and recommendations have broader significance not just for Finland's science policy, but for interdisciplinary science policies internationally. In this report, we have combined our theoretical beliefs, existing empirical evidence about interdisciplinary research, and our empirical data on the General Research Grants. On the one hand, our analysis tells us that many pioneering funding agencies and programs, including the Academy of Finland, have to a considerable degree embraced the interdisciplinary nature of modern knowledge production. On the other hand, both the literature we have surveyed and the findings from our empirical study suggest that funding agencies have much to improve to tackle the complexity, contingency, and emergent discovery and novelty that characterizes much of interdisciplinary research today. To handle the complexities of interdisciplinary research in its policies and evaluation systems, funding agencies will need a combination of approaches and sources of information, including both direct and quantitative methods, and indirect modes of reflection and qualitative methods.
Scenario-making is a common method for anticipating technological and other kinds of futures. Thi... more Scenario-making is a common method for anticipating technological and other kinds of futures. This article discusses scenario-making from a methodological point of view. How do we cope with contingency, that is, the problem of not knowing what developmental trajectories in the present will turn out to determine future events? Two distinctions are suggested as tools for analyzing scenario-making strategies. The
Both funding agencies and scholars in science studies have become increasingly concerned with how... more Both funding agencies and scholars in science studies have become increasingly concerned with how to define and identify interdisciplinarity in research. The task is tricky, since the complexity of interdisciplinary research defies a single definition. Our study tackles this challenge by demonstrating a new typology and qualitative indicators for analyzing interdisciplinarity in research documents. The proposed conceptual framework attempts to fulfill the need for a robust and nuanced approach that is grounded in deeper knowledge of interdisciplinarity. As an example of using the framework, we discuss our empirical investigation of research proposals funded by a national funding agency in Finland.
The article provides an introduction to and a demonstration of the self-organizing map (SOM) meth... more The article provides an introduction to and a demonstration of the self-organizing map (SOM) method for organizational researchers interested in the use of qualitative data. The SOM is a versatile quantitative method very commonly used across many disciplines to analyze large data sets. The outcome of the SOM analysis is a map in which entities are positioned according to similarity. The authors' argument is that text mining using the SOM is particularly effective in improving inference quality within qualitative research. SOM creates multiple well-grounded perspectives on the data and thus improves the quality of the concepts and categories used in the analysis.
The method of constructing scenarios is neither straightforward nor unproblematic. We propose fir... more The method of constructing scenarios is neither straightforward nor unproblematic. We propose first of all the term epistemic closure for representing the necessary methodological limitations of scenario construction. Whenever a particular kind of epistemic closure becomes a habit within some field of scenario-making, we use the term conventional scenarios. The problem with conventional scenario-making is that its analysis of the future is restricted–it can only register the events and trends that its particular approach allows it to ...
Modern society is said to be a knowledge society. Yet the academic discourse on the topics of lea... more Modern society is said to be a knowledge society. Yet the academic discourse on the topics of learning and knowledge production is fragmented. In order to build bridges between different traditions, we review three discursive formations on contemporary knowledge production in science and innovation: the social shaping of science (SSS) discourse, the knowledge in innovation (KNOWINN) discourse and the analogy in science (ANALOG) discourse. We argue that the three discourses should be seen as complementary; and that a more comprehensive approach to the study of knowledge production in contemporary society can be developed by combining them. We illustrate this with an empirical example from the field of biotechnological science and innovation, and end the paper with a few proposals for fruitful ways of combining and juxtaposing the perspectives developed within the three discourses.
International Journal of Learning and Change, 2005
ABSTRACT Despite debate about how scientific knowledge production is in transition from Mode 1 to... more ABSTRACT Despite debate about how scientific knowledge production is in transition from Mode 1 to Mode 2, there has been little discussion of the implications for research education and its organisation in university departments. We have found that preparing new researchers for such transitional conditions requires a re-focusing of their training, with an emphasis on communication across epistemic boundaries and various other skills. After reviewing the debate about the hypothesis of a transition in Modes, we propose a distinction between Mode 1 and Mode 2 departments. Our main discussion considers the challenges for research education ensuing from a shift to the latter. Finally, the result is a list of concrete suggestions for renewing research education as a response to what we detect as increasingly prevalent, and demanding, Mode 2 conditions.
A theory of the embodiment of action is proposed. Reflections on relations between human intentio... more A theory of the embodiment of action is proposed. Reflections on relations between human intentions, the human body and the notion of agency lead us to argue that phenomenological analysis is not sufficient for such a theory. Our consideration, that the most fundamental level of embodied agency is that of life itself, brings us to the philosophy of biology and the theory of the organism: briefly, certain parts of the natural environment are intrinsic to the constitution of organisms and, in their more sophisticated configuration, as agents. Action is embodied in the sense that certain physiological processes are internal in relation to it and play a constitutive role in its performance. The way in which environment, context and consciousness affect and constitute the nature of agency at personal and sub-personal levels is elaborated. We see that human agents perceive and act upon their world through a complex shifting between those levels. A summary of the ways in which the social s...
We studied the emergence of biotechnology in Turku, Finland. First, we analysed it as a result of... more We studied the emergence of biotechnology in Turku, Finland. First, we analysed it as a result of the interaction between the city and its national and international environment, focusing on the city's industrial policy as the mediator. Second, we diagnosed the construction of BioCity, the first biotechnology centre building of Turku, as a key event: the conceptualisation and construction of BioCity required a new kind of collaboration between the city administration, the universities and various commercial actors. We argue that the systems approach to regional development needs to be complemented with approaches that focus on the regional mechanisms of adaptation.
This paper describes the study of the distribution and integration of knowledge in a small contro... more This paper describes the study of the distribution and integration of knowledge in a small control system development project called the Automation System for Agricultural Implements (AGRIX). The activity of integrating socially distributed knowledge is called knowledge networking. We distinguish between three modes of knowledge networking — modular, integral and translational — and argue that the project team's task-specific selection of a knowledge networking mode depends on the nature of the problem to be solved. We propose that groups tend to select different kinds of knowledge networking strategies, depending on whether the problem is perceived as well- or ill-defined. We found that the AGRIX team worked with well-defined problems in modular and translational ways, while treating ill-defined problems with integral knowledge networking. We also observed that, in the absence of major constraints, the networking mode co-evolved dynamically with the problem structure, even thou...
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Papers by Henrik Bruun