Project Details

This doctoral project investigates how actors from academic research, education, policy, professional practice and wider society collaborate in the field of marine biodiversity. Specifically, it focuses on the influences of perceptions, values and epistemological assumptions on communication and decision-making in these often highly inter- and transdisciplinary contexts.

Drawing on cognitive and social psychological perspectives, the project examines processes of knowledge construction and trust-building, as well as differences in individual and collective interpretations. These differences are explored as potential barriers to mutual understanding but also as opportunities for social learning.

A central aim is to examine how and under what conditions shared foundations of understanding are developed that facilitate productive collaboration.
In this context, particular attention is given to the role of low-cost technologies such as the PlanktoScope, which can function both as tools for science communication and as shared reference points (boundary objects) in collaborative processes. The project investigates the extent to which such tools facilitate communication, foster trust in data and enable more inclusive forms of participation in scientific practice.

Methodologically, the research combines standardised surveys, qualitative interviews and focus group discussions to capture both individual perspectives and collective negotiation processes.