At the intersection of digital technology and society: embodied knowledge and team science

Amrita Nanda and Rattanmeek Kaur

Chapter 4 in How to Organise Transdisciplinary Research for Transformative Action and Knowledge Co-Production, 2026, pp 41-57 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: As digital and data-driven technologies become more prevalent in our lives and in determining our lived realities, there is a growing need to investigate the many facets of this global shift. This chapter chronicles key learnings and guiding principles underpinning the role of transdisciplinary research at this intersection of digital technology and society. Through case studies, snapshots of projects, and a discussion around guiding principles and processes embedded in the work of the Aapti Institute, a women-led and women-majority nonprofit research organisation based in India, we highlight the need for transdisciplinary work at this intersection. We begin by discussing the wicked problem situating some of the core issues emergent in an increasingly datafied and digital world. Next, we shed light on first principles spanning the Aapti Institute's efforts in conducting meaningful research and driving impact – with particular focus on methodology. This leads us to explore foundational values and their manifestations (or in some cases, beginnings) in projects. In each project, a different aspect of transdisciplinarity is in focus. Finally, we discuss how transdisciplinary methods have played out, connecting with existing scholarship and reflecting upon areas that may require greater priority in research practice. We argue that the criticality of transdisciplinary attitudes, teams, and processes has enabled meaningful pathways to impact – toward the vision of a more just, fair, and equitable digital world. Further, the situated knowledge and meaningful involvement of impacted communities must be a cornerstone for transdisciplinary thinking.

Keywords: Transdisciplinary Research; Data Economy; Digital Rights; Situated Knowledge; Team Science (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035346547
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