Testing and Refining a Transdisciplinary Research Quality Assessment Framework

Dr. Belcher received Research and Professional Development funds to improve quality assessment framework to support the design, implementation and assessment of transdisciplinary research.

A paper that proposed a transdisciplinary research (TDR) quality assessment framework (Belcher et al 2016) has over 80 citations and has influenced research assessment in other research organizations. The Sustainability Research Effectiveness Program has tested the quality assessment framework (QAF) and identified scope for improvement. In the meantime, new literature has been published on research quality assessment and transdisciplinary theory. This project will review experience with the QAF and new literature on research evaluation and social change theory, as a basis for revising and improving the QAF. The QAF is intended to support the design, implementation and assessment of TDR by students, supervisors and research evaluators.