A typology to guide design and assessment of participatory farming research projects

Participatory modes of agricultural research have gained significant attention over the last 40 years. While many scholars and practitioners agree that engaging farmers and other stakeholders is a valuable complement to traditional scientific research, there is significant diversity in the goals and approaches used by participatory projects. Building on previous conceptual frameworks on divergent approaches to participatory farming research (PFR), we propose an updated synthetic typology that can be used to design, evaluate, and distinguish PFR projects. Key elements of our typology include a recognition of the multidimensionality of projects that reflect different combinations of: (a) the goals or motivations behind engaging farmers in research, (b) the specific methods or approaches used to implement a PFR project, and (c) the social, institutional, and biophysical contexts that shape the dynamics and outcomes from PFR. We use this typology to highlight how particular manifestations of participatory agricultural research projects—ranging from farmer advisory boards, on-farm demonstrations, and researcher- versus farmer-led on-farm research projects—combine goals, methods, and contexts in distinctive ways. Proponents of PFR projects would benefit from clarifying how their work fits into or extends this multidimensional typology.