Co-production, emergent properties and strong interactive social research: the Georgia Basin Futures Project

Abstract

A strong programme in interactive social research can be distinguished by the relationships it seeks to establish among four key parties in the research process - the sponsors of research, the research team, independent organisations (from the governmental, non-governmental and commercial sectors) and the interested public. The knowledge that is the result of a research project is a co-production of researchers, players and partners, and is therefore an emergent property of their interaction. The Georgia Basin Futures Project is one attempt to operationalise a form of strong interactive social research.