Transformational Sustainability Research (TSR) Methodology

The publications are grouped along the transformational sustainability research process, starting with overview articles on methodological frameworks for transformational sustainability research followed by articles on key methods and articles detailing the transdisciplinary research mode. The studies address sustainability of water governance, nanotechnology, urban development and the food economy.

Sahle, M., Lahoti, S. A., Lee, S., Brundiers, K., Van Riper, C. J., et al. (2025). Revisiting the sustainability science research agenda. Sustainability Science, 20(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-024-01586-3
Lang, D. J., & Wiek, A. (2022). Structuring and advancing solution-oriented research for sustainability. Ambio, 51(1), 31–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01537-7
Fazey, I., Schäpke, N., Caniglia, G., Patterson, J., Hultman, J., Van Mierlo, B., Säwe, F., Wiek, A., Wittmayer, J., Aldunce, P., Al Waer, H., Battacharya, N., Bradbury, H., Carmen, E., Colvin, J., Cvitanovic, C., D’Souza, M., Gopel, M., Goldstein, B., … Wyborn, C. (2018). Ten essentials for action-oriented and second order energy transitions, transformations and climate change research. Energy Research & Social Science, 40, 54-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.11.026
Lang, D. J., Wiek, A., & Wehrden, H. von. (2017). Bridging divides in sustainability science. Sustainability Science, 12(6), 875–879. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-017-0497-2
Wiek, A., Harlow, J., Melnick, R., van der Leeuw, S., Fukushi, K., Takeuchi, K., Farioli, F., Yamba, F., Blake, A., Geiger, C., & Kutter, R. (2015). Sustainability science in action: A review of the state of the field through case studies on disaster recovery, bioenergy, and precautionary purchasing. Sustainability Science, 10(1), 17–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-014-0261-9
Wiek, A., Talwar, S., O’Shea, M., & Robinson, J. (2014). Toward a methodological scheme for capturing societal effects of participatory sustainability research. Research Evaluation, 23(2), 117–132. https://doi.org/10.1093/reseval/rvt031
Miller, T. R., Wiek, A., Sarewitz, D., Robinson, J., Olsson, L., Kriebel, D., & Loorbach, D. (2014). The future of sustainability science: A solutions-oriented research agenda. Sustainability Science, 9(2), 239–246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-013-0224-6
Lang, D. J., Wiek, A., Bergmann, M., Stauffacher, M., Martens, P., Moll, P., Swilling, M., & Thomas, C. J. (2012). Transdisciplinary research in sustainability science: Practice, principles, and challenges. Sustainability Science, 7(Suppl. 1), 25–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-011-0149-x
Seager, T., Selinger, E., & Wiek, A. (2012). Sustainable engineering science for resolving wicked problems. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 25(4), 467–484. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-011-9342-2
Wiek, A., Ness, B., Schweizer-Ries, P., Brand, F. S., & Farioli, F. (2012). From complex systems analysis to transformational change: A comparative appraisal of sustainability science projects. Sustainability Science, 7(Suppl. 1), 5–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-011-0148-y
Wiek, A., & Walter, A. I. (2009). A transdisciplinary approach for formalized integrated planning and decision-making in complex systems. European Journal of Operational Research, 197(1), 360–370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2008.06.013

Kuzdas, C., Warner, B., Wiek, A., Yglesias, M., Vignola, R., & Ramírez-Cover, A. (2016). Identifying the potential of governance regimes to aggravate or mitigate local water conflicts in regions threatened by climate change. Local Environment, 21(11), 1387–1408. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2015.1129604
Kuzdas, C., Warner, B., Wiek, A., Vignola, R., & Morataya, R. (2015). Integrated and participatory analysis of water governance regimes: The case of the Costa Rican dry tropics. World Development, 66, 254–268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.08.018
Foley, R. W., & Wiek, A. (2013). Patterns of nanotechnology innovation and governance within a metropolitan area. Technology in Society, 35(4), 233–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2013.10.004
Wiek, A., Foley, R. W., & Guston, D. H. (2012). Nanotechnology for sustainability: What does nanotechnology offer to address complex sustainability problems? Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 14(9), 1093. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-012-1093-0
Wiek, A., Larson, K. L. (2012). Water, people, and sustainability: A systems framework for analyzing and assessing water governance regimes. Water Resources Management, 26(11), 3153–3171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-012-0065-6
Wiek, A., Lang, D. J., & Siegrist, M. (2008). Qualitative system analysis as a means for sustainable governance of emerging technologies: The case of nanotechnology. Journal of Cleaner Production, 16(8–9), 988–999. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2007.04.009
Wiek, A., Zemp, S., Siegrist, M., & Walter, A. I. (2007). Sustainable governance of emerging technologies: Critical constellations in the agent network of nanotechnology. Technology in Society, 29(4), 388–406. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2007.08.010
Wiek, A., Scheringer, M., Pohl, C., Hadorn, G. H., & Valsangiacomo, A. (2007). Joint problem identification and structuring in environmental research. GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 16(1), 72–74. https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.16.1.20

John, B., Keeler, L. W., Wiek, A., & Lang, D. J. (2015). How much sustainability substance is in urban visions? An analysis of visioning projects in urban planning. Cities, 48, 86–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2015.06.001
White, D. D., Keeler, L. W., Wiek, A., & Larson, K. L. (2015). Envisioning the future of water governance: A survey of Central Arizona water decision makers. Environmental Practice, 17(1), 25–35. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1466046614000489
Withycombe Keeler, L., Wiek, A., White, D. D., & Sampson, D. A. (2015). Linking stakeholder survey, scenario analysis, and simulation modeling to explore the long-term impacts of regional water governance regimes. Environmental Science & Policy, 48, 237–249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2015.01.006
Iwaniec, D., & Wiek, A. (2014). Advancing sustainability visioning practice in planning: The General Plan update in Phoenix, Arizona. Planning Practice and Research, 29(5), 543–568. https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2014.977004
Kuzdas, C., & Wiek, A. (2014). Governance scenarios for addressing water conflicts and climate change impacts. Environmental Science & Policy, 42, 181–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2014.06.007
Wiek, A., & Iwaniec, D. (2014). Quality criteria for visions and visioning in sustainability science. Sustainability Science, 9(4), 497–512. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-013-0208-6
Foley, R. W., & Wiek, A. (2014). Scenarios of nanotechnology innovation vis-à-vis sustainability challenges. Futures, 64, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2014.09.005
Thompson, J. R., Wiek, A., Swanson, F. J., Carpenter, S. R., Fresco, N., Hollingsworth, T., Spies, T. A., & Foster, D. R. (2012). Scenario studies as a synthetic and integrative research activity for long-term ecological research. BioScience, 62(4), 367–376. https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2012.62.4.8
Machler, L., & Golub, A. (2012). Using a “sustainable solution space” approach to develop a vision of sustainable accessibility in a low-income community in Phoenix, Arizona. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 6(5), 298–319. https://doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2011.605210
Sheppard, S. R., Shaw, A., Flanders, D., Burch, S., Wiek, A., Carmichael, J., Robinson, J., & Cohen, S. (2011). Future visioning of local climate change: A framework for community engagement and planning with scenarios and visualisation. Futures, 43(4), 400–412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2011.01.009
Shaw, A., Sheppard, S., Burch, S., Flanders, D., Wiek, A., Carmichael, J., Robinson, J., & Cohen, S. (2009). Making local futures tangible: Synthesizing, downscaling, and visualizing climate change scenarios for participatory capacity building. Global Environmental Change, 19(4), 447–463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2009.04.002
Wiek, A., Gasser, L., & Siegrist, M. (2009). Systemic scenarios of nanotechnology: Sustainable governance of emerging technologies. Futures, 41(5), 284–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2008.11.016
Wiek, A., Binder, C., & Scholz, R. W. (2006). Functions of scenarios in transition processes. Futures, 38(7), 740–766. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2005.12.003

Wiek, A., Kuzdas, C., & Foley, R. (2017). Sustainability assessments designed for multiple functions: Five cases about water resources, nanotechnologies and communities. In R. B. Gibson (Ed.), Sustainability assessment: Applications and opportunities (pp. 141–159). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group; Earthscan. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315754048-15
Foley, R., Wiek, A., & Kay, B. (2017). Nanotechnology development as if people and places matter. NanoEthics, 11(3), 243–257. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11569-017-0300-y
Kuzdas, C., Warner, B. P., Wiek, A., Vignola, R., Yglesias, M., & Childers, D. L. (2016). Sustainability assessment of water governance alternatives: The case of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Sustainability Science, 11(2), 231–247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-015-0324-6
Kuzdas, C., Wiek, A., Warner, B., Vignola, R., & Morataya, R. (2014). Sustainability appraisal of water governance regimes: The case of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Environmental Management, 54(2), 205–222. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-014-0292-0
Larson, K. L., Wiek, A., & Withycombe Keeler, L. (2013). A comprehensive sustainability appraisal of water governance in Phoenix, AZ. Journal of Environmental Management, 116, 58–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.11.016
Salter, J., Robinson, J., & Wiek, A. (2010). Participatory methods of integrated assessment: A review. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 1(5), 697–717. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.73
Wiek, A., & Binder, C. (2005). Solution spaces for decision-making: A sustainability assessment tool for city-regions. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 25(6), 589–608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2004.09.009

Caniglia, G., Schäpke, N., Lang, D. J., Abson, D. J., Luederitz, C., Wiek, A., Laubichler, M. D., Gralla, F., & Wehrden, H. von (2017). Experiments and evidence in sustainability science: A typology. Journal of Cleaner Production, 169, 39–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.05.164
Luederitz, C., Schäpke, N., Wiek, A., Lang, D. J., Bergmann, M., Bos, J. J., Burch, S., Davies, A., Evans, J., König, A., Farrelly, M. A., Forrest, N., Frantzeskaki, N., Gibson, R. B., Kay, B., Loorbach, D., McCormick, K., Parodi, O., Rauschmayer, F., … Westley, F. R. (2017). Learning through evaluation – A tentative evaluative scheme for sustainability transition experiments. Journal of Cleaner Production, 169, 61-76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.09.005
Wiek, A., Foley, R. W., Guston, D. H., & Bernstein, M. J. (2016). Broken promises and breaking ground for responsible innovation – intervention research to transform business-as-usual in nanotechnology innovation. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 28(6), 639–650. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2015.1129399
Bernstein, M. J., Wiek, A., Brundiers, K., Pearson, K., Minowitz, A., Kay, B., & Golub, A. (2016). Mitigating urban sprawl effects: a collaborative tree and shade intervention in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. 1354-9839, 21(4), 414–431. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2014.965672
Culotta, D., Wiek, A., & Forrest, N. (2016). Selecting and coordinating local and regional climate change interventions. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 34(7), 1241–1266. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263774X15607475
Forrest, N., & Wiek, A. (2015). Success factors and strategies for sustainability transitions of small-scale communities – Evidence from a cross-case analysis. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 17, 22–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2015.05.005
Forrest, N., & Wiek, A. (2014). Learning from success—Toward evidence-informed sustainability transitions in communities. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 12, 66–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2014.01.003
Smith, R., & Wiek, A. (2012). Achievements and opportunities in initiating governance for urban sustainability. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 30(3), 429–447. https://doi.org/10.1068/c10158

Manuel-Navarrete, D., Grauer, C., Chilisa, B., Brundiers, K., Abidin Bin Sanusi, Z., Seidel, T., Tolksdorf, F., J. Lang, D.J., (2025, in press). Inclusive Transdisciplinarity: Embracing Diverse Ways of Being and Knowing through Inner Work, Ecology & Society.
Cohen, M., & Wiek, A. (2017). Identifying misalignments between public participation process and context in urban development. Challenges in Sustainability, 5(2), 11–22. https://doi.org/10.12924/cis2017.05020011
Cohen, M., Wiek, A., Kay, B., & Harlow, J. (2015). Aligning public participation to stakeholders’ sustainability literacy—a case study on sustainable urban development in Phoenix, Arizona. Sustainability, 7(7), 8709–8728. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7078709
Foley, R. W., Wiek, A., Kay, B., & Rushforth, R. (2017). Ideal and reality of multi-stakeholder collaboration on sustainability problems: a case study on a large-scale industrial contamination in Phoenix, Arizona. Sustainability Science, 12(1), 123–136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-016-0393-1
Foley, R. W., Bernstein, M. J., & Wiek, A. (2016). Towards an alignment of activities, aspirations and stakeholders for responsible innovation. Journal of Responsible Innovation, 3(3), 209–232. https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2016.1257380
Wiek, A., Talwar, S., O’Shea, M. & Robinson, J. (2014). Toward a methodological scheme for capturing societal effects of participatory sustainability research, Research Evaluation, 23(2), 117–132. https://doi.org/10.1093/reseval/rvt031
Lang, D. J., Wiek, A., Bergmann, M., Stauffacher, M., Martens, P., Moll, P., Swilling, M., & Thomas, C. J. (2012). Transdisciplinary research in sustainability science: Practice, principles, and challenges. Sustainability Science, 7(S1), 25-43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-011-0149-x
Wiek, A., & Lang, D. (2012). Transdisciplinary research. In Berkshire encyclopedia of sustainability. Berkshire Publishing Group. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780190622664.001.0001/acref-9780190622664-e-630
Talwar, S., Wiek, A., & Robinson, J. (2011). User engagement in sustainability research. Science and Public Policy, 38(5), 379–390. https://doi.org/10.3152/030234211X12960315267615
Wiek, A. (2007). Challenges of transdisciplinary research as interactive knowledge generation – experiences from transdisciplinary case study research. GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 16(1), 52–57. https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.16.1.14