What Is It Good For? Reflecting and Systematizing Accompanying Research to Research Programs

Abstract

Implementing innovative research formats such as real-world laboratories can be supported by accompanying research. On condition that their specifics are observed, accompanying research inquiring into the processes taking place and accompanying research facilitating the production of integrated knowledge are particularly beneficial.There is hardly any tradition of accompanying research to running research programs and basically no scientific debate dealing with this kind of research. The paper contributes to this debate by suggesting a typology of accompanying research based on the authors’ experiences in conducting such research. Given that its independence is preserved, accompanying research to research programs is not a luxury but provides added value. In cases where new or unusual formats of research are adopted, such as the format of transdisciplinary and transformative real-world laboratories, it might even be a necessity. The paper is conceptual. It discusses the special nature (added value and success factors) of accompanying research to research programs along the dimensions “research” ‐ what kind of scientific knowledge is produced?, “relationship to the actors” ‐ what is the special relationship to the other projects (and the funding agency)?, and “process-related tasks” ‐ what additional tasks can be incorporated? The accompanying research to the BaWü Lab program will be presented against this backdrop.