Involving the target population in research has become commonplace for sociological and other research. Evidence-based research is needed to develop policies that take into account people’s real needs. These forms of research usually use people’s knowledge. The extraction approach involves taking knowledge out of its immediate context and presenting it to “specialized” outsiders. Non-extractive research engages all participants and allows them to use research methods and findings in ways that are meaningful to them. At that point, “Knowledge Alliances” emerges.
Knowledge Alliances consist of equal partnerships between researchers and practitioners from different directions, with different interests and varying combinations of knowledge. The challenge is now to organize such multi-stakeholder alliances so that these differences can thrive and benefit each other in a reciprocal process of knowledge production (Novy, Habersack, and Schaller 2013) .
Involve is a participatory research project. The name is deliberately chosen: we involve the target audience of the research and all stakeholders in the project. Thus, we invest in the Knowledge Alliances.
Involve relies on previous research to develop the Knowledge Alliances: RE-InVEST and ATD Fourth World. RE-InVEST combined its own version of the Participative Action Research: the PAR: A Human Rights and Capability Approach (PAHRCA) with the Merging of Knowledge from ATD Fourth World.