Stakeholder-engaged research: a multidisciplinary historical analysis

Abstract

The involvement of stakeholders in research – from design, production and communication to use – is recognised as essential to producing impactful research. However, approaches to involving stakeholders in research vary greatly between different fields. This article conducts a multidisciplinary historical analysis of stakeholder-engaged research to offer an integrated perspective on engagement practices across disciplines. It identifies common influences, objectives, trends and challenges, proposing frameworks to support interdisciplinary analysis and understanding. The analysis identifies interconnected approaches that could benefit from mutual learning and exchange. Approaches emerging from sociopolitical movements orient around objectives of empowerment and emancipation, those responding to complexity tend to focus on producing better research that solves societal problems, while accountability-driven approaches centre on research use and impact. This article broadens the diversity of approaches and epistemologies discussed in the literature by including disciplines neglected in previous reviews. Building on the widely cited three-generations model, it proposes a configuration- and complexity-based framework for comparing stakeholder-engaged research approaches, moving beyond the chronological conception of stakeholder-engaged research development. This multidisciplinary historical analysis provides a valuable resource for scholars and practitioners to understand the range of possible approaches to stakeholder engagement, facilitating approach selection for specific use cases and contexts, as well as opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and collaboration.