Two main aims

• to contribute to the research field on dialogic communication by developing interdisciplinary theories, concepts and methods and empirical results that provide insight into the tensions inherent in dialogic communication practices.

and

• to contribute to practice changes by developing methods which enable participants in dialogic communication to tackle the tensions in their practices. These methods include dialogue-based facilitation techniques and spaces, where difference and dissensus are harnessed as productive dynamics.

Theoretical and empirical diversity
The research group reflects the theoretical and empirical diversity of dialogic communication research. Members carry out research, in interdisciplinary fashion, within and across the traditions of communication theory, poststructuralist and feminist theory, action research and science and technology studies.  Research projects draw variously on theoretical approaches such as dialogic communication theory, feminist and poststructuralist approaches to qualitative research including writing as inquiry, dialogic action research, virtual ethnography, social semiotics and actor network theory.

With respect to empirical fields of study, projects explore empirical topics such as

·         digital media (incl. virtual worlds and e-learning)
·         education (incl. dialogic and collaborative approaches to organised learning)
·         health services (incl. health promotion and action research in health institutions)
·         intercultural communication (incl. games designed to further dialogue across difference)
·         organisational development (incl. involvement of employees in bottom-up organisational change)
·         participatory welfare governance (incl. citizen involvement projects in social services and urban planning)
·         research and science (incl. collaborative research and public engagement in science)