Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1007/s13280-024-02047-y
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Navigating causal reasoning in sustainability science
Author Schlüter, M.; Hertz, T.; Mancilla García, M.; Banitz, T. ORCID logo ; Grimm, V.; Johansson, L.-G.; Lindkvist, E.; Martínez-Peña, R.; Radosavljevic, S.; Wennberg, K.; Ylikoski, P.
Source Titel Ambio
Year 2024
Department OESA
Volume 53
Issue 11
Page From 1618
Page To 1631
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
Keywords Accounts of causation; Causal analysis; Causal inquiry; Interdisciplinarity; Social–ecological systems
Abstract When reasoning about causes of sustainability problems and possible solutions, sustainability scientists rely on disciplinary-based understanding of cause–effect relations. These disciplinary assumptions enable and constrain how causal knowledge is generated, yet they are rarely made explicit. In a multidisciplinary field like sustainability science, lack of understanding differences in causal reasoning impedes our ability to address complex sustainability problems. To support navigating the diversity of causal reasoning, we articulate when and how during a research process researchers engage in causal reasoning and discuss four common ideas about causation that direct it. This articulation provides guidance for researchers to make their own assumptions and choices transparent and to interpret other researchers’ approaches. Understanding how causal claims are made and justified enables sustainability researchers to evaluate the diversity of causal claims, to build collaborations across disciplines, and to assess whether proposed solutions are suitable for a given problem.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=29352
Schlüter, M., Hertz, T., Mancilla García, M., Banitz, T., Grimm, V., Johansson, L.-G., Lindkvist, E., Martínez-Peña, R., Radosavljevic, S., Wennberg, K., Ylikoski, P. (2024):
Navigating causal reasoning in sustainability science
Ambio 53 (11), 1618 - 1631 10.1007/s13280-024-02047-y