Rehearsing a polylocal polyphony in academic knowledge production

Abstract

In this article, we reflect on the possibilities and ways of creating alternative formats for both collaborative and participatory academic knowledge production processes, and on their potentialities. In particular, we look into the concept of polylogue, and how we used it to experiment with a format for collective knowledge production, as guest editors of a recent special edition of the Strategic Design Research Journal (SDRJ). We describe the motivations and origins of our polylogue experiment, and we introduce its process and challenges. We conclude by proposing that a polylogue makes public and accessible meta-reflections and conversations by promoting: communicative polygamy, polyphony of positions and polycardinal forum. These three situations articulate some of the possibilities and limitations of the format that we should continue exploring and rehearsing.