Evaluation of technology platforms for use in transdisciplinary research

Transdisciplinary research (TR) is a growing field in many subject domains such as Sustainability, Health and Medicine, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Engineering, and Technology. The idea is to solve complex problems in society through collaborative participation of academic and non-academic actors, including the community stakeholders, governments, and other leaders, to jointly define the problem and find solutions. The literature revealed that there is a need to increase the adaption of tools, such as technology platforms, that enhance and support TR. It also revealed that though many research papers discussed the activities and skills in TR, there was no systematic literature review conducted to identify the core activities and core skills. These revelations provided strong motivation for this research. The goal of this research was to improve the evaluation of technology platforms for use in TR. The central research question addressed is: can a tool be constructed for evaluating technology platforms for use in transdisciplinary research? To answer this research question, three specific aims were formulated, namely, (1) determine the core activities of TR, (2) determine the core skills of TR, and (3) construct a tool for evaluating technology platforms for use in TR. The preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis methodology (PRISMA) was extended to address the first two specific aims. To address the third specific aim, a methodology was developed that used elements of the technology acceptance model (TAM) and standard technology evaluation process (STEP). The analysis of data from the first two specific aims resulted in determining the core activities and core skills that are found across TR projects in different subject domains. A tool for evaluating technology platforms for use in TR was constructed, discussed, and validated. Three transdisciplinary projects were studied and analyzed and used as part of the validations. The tool was shown to be effective. The results of this research contribute directly toward improving the evaluation of technology platforms for use in TR.