Decolonizing Guides

Efforts to decolonize research collaborations between the North and South have been ongoing since the 1970s, with various fields and sectors engaging in this pursuit. However, these endeavors have predominantly been led by "Northern" researchers, leading to an imbalance in addressing the challenges of decolonizing North-South research collaboration. Despite the existence of guidelines, which aim to foster equitable collaborations, asymmetries persist, hindering true inclusivity and power sharing. Challenges include unequal access, power relations, and diverse conceptions of knowledge acquisition. Understanding and addressing these challenges require examining power dynamics, realizing inequities, and fostering open discussions throughout the collaborative process.

To effectively address these challenges, we recommend two strategic lines at institutional and researcher levels. First, we have observed as a major source of challenges in these research collaborations that the researchers as well as the respective institutions do not know each other. For instance, northern researchers do not know the competencies of their partners. Southern researchers do not know the institutional structure of their northern partners’ institutions. In order to maximize chances for successful collaboration supported by equity and resource access, the partners need this specific information about them at project design phase. We therefor propose a guideline for institutional get-to-know, which should be used at project design phase. Second, self-awareness and criticality of researchers is important to decolonization. Researchers both from the North and the South need to be aware of their strengths, weaknesses and privileges, as well as their complementarity. We propose a tool for self-awareness used individually or in a group. The aim of this report is to provide guidance and recommendations, and to elaborate these tools for institutional get-to-know and self-awareness for North-South research collaboration decolonization.

1. Definition and purpose of participatory design

Participatory design is an approach to product design that involves active participation of multiple stakeholders, including researchers, end-users, designers, partners, citizens, and employees, throughout the design process. It seeks to democratize design by integrating various perspectives and views, aiming to create user-centred solutions and achieve successful outcomes. Participatory design emphasizes user-centeredness, collaboration and co-creation, iterative improvement, and accessibility and inclusivity. It adapts to technological advancements, utilizing tools like online collaboration platforms and digital prototyping to facilitate efficient and effective involvement of geographically dispersed users.[FK1]

Drawing on the understanding that North-South research collaboration have often been dominated by Northern researchers, resulting in power imbalances and inequitable outcomes, this document aims to advocate for a more inclusive and democratic design process of research collaborations. By actively involving all stakeholders, the participatory design approach seeks to democratize the research process and create user-centred solutions that promote equitable and decolonized collaboration. Through the integration of diverse perspectives and the utilization of modern tools and methodologies, such as online collaboration platforms, this approach aims to foster effective and efficient involvement of geographically dispersed participants.

We understand the “North” and “South” terms as the privilieges or disadvanges shared by researchers leading to ease or struggle. Additionaly, we agree wuth the definition of Santos in 2018 stating that “epistemologies of the South concern the production and validation of knowledges anchored in the experiences of resistance of all those social groups that have systematically suffered injustice, oppression, and destruction caused by capitalism, colonialism, and patriarchy”.

2. Walking brainstorming process

To engage participants from different origins, backgrounds, and perspectives to collectively develop tools that drive positive change in research collaborations we applied a participatory process. We used an approach called "Walking Brainstorming" to ensure that every voice is heard, regardless of communication style. This method encourages creativity, prevents the dominance of a few voices, and creates an inclusive, anonymous, and introvert-friendly brainstorming environment. It also allows contribution from different time zones.

The walking brainstorming process was designed to gather valuable insights and experiences from participants over an extended period, utilizing an online collaborative platform. This process took place from Monday, 25th of September to Sunday, 8th of October, on the Mural platform. Participants joined as anonymous visitors to ensure privacy and encourage open and honest contributions. Each participant received a personal invitation and was encouraged to invite colleagues interested in contributing by contacting the organizers for a separate invitation.

Participants were invited to join this innovative brainstorming process to contribute to the advancement of North-South research collaborations. Their unique insights and experiences were essential in shaping future practices and promoting equitable partnerships. This approach also offered a chance to experience a novel method of online brainstorming that aimed to balance power dynamics among participants, ensuring that all voices were heard equally.

Participants engaged with the brainstorming process by reading and responding to eight topics derived from a literature review on motivations and decolonization practices in North-South research collaborations. They were encouraged to share their personal stories and experiences related to these collaborations, whether positive or negative. Contributions were made by adding and dragging sticky notes on the Mural platform. Each sticky note was aligned vertically with the relevant topic to ensure clarity and organization. Participants were urged to contribute to less populated topics to provide a diverse range of insights.

To share a story or experience, participants used one text box per contribution and signed their sticky note with a name or nickname, indicating whether they were a Northern or Southern researcher. For example, a contribution might be signed as "Ravi_South." If a participant's story or experience did not fit within the predefined topics, they added their contribution to the "others" section at the far right of the platform.

3. Analysis

Inductive content analysis was employed to systematically analyze the stories and experiences shared by participants during the walking brainstorming process. Initially, all contributions were read thoroughly to gain a comprehensive understanding of the content. Following this, open coding was performed, wherein labels were assigned to relevant pieces of text to identify significant concepts and patterns. These codes were then grouped into categories based on their similarities and relationships. Finally, statements were derived from these categories to encapsulate the main ideas and insights provided by the participants.

Learn more about insights from the Walking Brainstorming:

The "way of collaboration" refers to the fundamental approach or framework through which institutions engage in research partnerships or collaborations. It encompasses the dynamics, roles, and relationships established during collaborative endeavors. This topic invites exploration into the various models of collaboration, whether it involves working as peers with mutual respect and understanding, fostering specific functional relationships, or adopting other collaborative models.

"Enablers of collaboration" encompass the critical factors, practices, and conditions that facilitate and support effective research collaborations, particularly within the context of decolonization efforts. These enablers serve as the foundation upon which collaborative partnerships are built, ensuring equitable, respectful, and transparent engagements. In this topic, we delve into various aspects such as early communication, spaces for decolonization discussions, trust-building, individual preparedness, and more.

The "Principles of collaboration" are the guiding values and beliefs that underpin research collaborations, especially within the context of decolonization efforts. Embracing these principles involves acknowledging the absence of a center and periphery in knowledge creation, challenging dominant agendas, embracing discomfort, and striving for awareness of colonized practices. Additionally, principles such as shared ownership, openness to change, and genuine participation are essential for fostering equitable and fruitful collaborations.

"Working conditions" refer to the various contextual factors and circumstances that influence and shape the research collaboration environment within the framework of decolonization. These conditions include administrative capacity, financial aspects such as salaries, and the interplay of participants' positionalities within the collaboration. They also extend to how productivity is assessed, the consideration of linguistic needs, resource investments in terms of time, human resources, and materials, as well as accommodating partners' preferences and cultural differences in management practices.

The concept of "Responsibility in the collaboration" encompasses the various roles and obligations that individuals and institutions assume within research collaborations, particularly within the framework of decolonization efforts. This extends to roles such as data collectors or data analyzers and the decision-making process regarding the dissemination of research findings. It involves choices such as whether who publish in scientific journals or who disseminate to non-scientific stakeholders.

"Career and skill development" within the context of research collaboration is a multifaceted concept that encompasses various aspects such as researchers' aspirations to enhance their skills and knowledge. It considers factors like positionality, which includes one's position, seniority, expertise, funding opportunities, reputation, gender, race, culture, and language. The topic also extends to the availability of resources, including research capacity and contributions, as well as the desire to advance one's career. It explores the availability of mentors, study or research scholarships, funding schemes, and how these factors influence participants' career trajectories, skill development, and contributions to collaborative research initiatives.

"Field and network development or expertise " within the context of research collaboration involves various dimensions aimed at staying at the forefront of research in a specific area. This includes designing project proposals, understanding research policy, navigating funding structures, governance systems, and institutional arrangements, as well as resource contributions. Researchers strive to address critical research problems within their field, shaping project proposals, research focus, and negotiated research agendas. They establish connections with other universities and research institutions to foster collaborations and knowledge exchange. Furthermore, they aim to gather evidence that is relevant to real-world practice and supports new initiatives, often involving data collectors, assistants, or facilitators.

"Satisfaction" in the context of research collaborations entails various dimensions that influence researchers' contentment and motivation. Researchers often seek to increase job satisfaction, aiming to keep their minds stimulated and engaged in intellectually stimulating work. This topic explores the multifaceted nature of satisfaction and its role in research collaborations, emphasizing its significance in enhancing individual and collective experiences, particularly in the context of decolonization-focused research collaborations.