Emergent scholarship principles

Emergent scholarship doesn't reject traditional academic values like rigour, evidence, and expertise. Instead, it reimagines how these values can be realised in ways that are more connected, open, sustainable, and responsive to complex real-world challenges. It represents an evolution of scholarship appropriate for our increasingly complex, interconnected world.

Knowledge through connection

• Knowledge is socially constructed through interaction and exchange
• Valuable insights emerge at the intersection of different perspectives and disciplines
• Understanding develops through both formal and informal exchanges across networks
• Collective intelligence surpasses individual efforts in creating robust knowledge

Information flow through networks

• Information exists in dynamic motion rather than static repositories
• Networks form the fundamental infrastructure of contemporary knowledge systems
• Knowledge quality emerges from how effectively it moves across diverse contexts
• Network structures shape what knowledge becomes visible and valued
• Information gains meaning and relevance through its movement patterns

Identity through community

• Professional identity forms through participation in communities rather than individual achievement alone
• Communities provide contexts for meaning-making and knowledge validation
• Collaborative environments shape how we understand ourselves as scholars and practitioners
• Multiple community memberships create richness and complexity in professional identity
• Trust relationships form the foundation for knowledge development and innovation

Innovation through openness

• Novel insights emerge when ideas can flow freely across traditional boundaries
• Transparency creates conditions for unexpected connections and discoveries
• Early sharing and continuous feedback enhance rather than diminish scholarly quality
• Open environments foster diversity of thought and approach
• Public engagement enriches scholarly work through diverse perspectives

Meaning through medium

• The form of expression fundamentally shapes how knowledge is understood
• Different media reveal different aspects of complex phenomena
• The medium itself contains meaning beyond the explicit content
• Formats evolve alongside the knowledge they express
• Technology transforms rather than merely transmits scholarly expression

Value through engagement

• Worth emerges through meaningful interaction with diverse stakeholders
• Impact manifests across multiple dimensions beyond traditional metrics
• Quality assessment occurs through ongoing dialogue rather than fixed endpoints
• Multiple perspectives are essential in determining what scholarship matters
• Societal relevance forms a core component of scholarly value

Sustainability through ecology

• Scholarship exists within broader social and environmental systems
• Knowledge creation practices must respect human and planetary limits
• Long-term thinking guides scholarly priorities and approaches
• Regenerative practices enhance rather than deplete collective resources
• Scholarship should contribute to both academic and broader ecological health