Among scholars in sustainability science, there is an increasing recognition of the potential of place-based research in the context of transformative change towards sustainability. In this research, researchers may have a variety of roles; these are determined by the researcher’s engagement with the subject, the inherent theoretical, normative and methodological choices he or she makes, the researcher’s ambitions in contributing to change, and ethical issues. This article explores the varied roles of research fellows within the European Marie Curie ITN research program on sustainable place-shaping (SUSPLACE). By analysing 15 SUSPLACE projects and reflecting on the roles of researchers identified by Wittmayer and Schäpke (Sustain Sci 9(4):483–496, 2014) we describe how the fellows’ theoretical positionality, methods applied, and engagement in places led to different research roles. The methodology used for the paper is based on an interactive process, co-producing knowledge with Early Stage Researchers (fellows) of the SUSPLACE consortium. The results show a range of place meanings applied by the fellows. Varied methods are used to give voice to participants in research and to bring them together for joint reflection on values, networks and understandings, co-creating knowledge. Multiple conceptualisations of ‘sustainability’ were used, reflecting different normative viewpoints. These choices and viewpoints resulted in fellows each engaging in multiple roles, exploring various routes of sustainable place-shaping, and influencing place-relations. Based on our findings we introduce a framework for the ‘embodied researcher’: a researcher who is engaged in research with their ‘brain, heart, hands and feet’ and who integrates different roles during the research process.

中文翻译：

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通过基于地点的研究来运营变革性可持续发展科学：研究人员的作用

在可持续性科学领域的学者中，人们越来越认识到在向可持续性转变的背景下基于场所的研究的潜力。在这项研究中，研究人员可能扮演多种角色。这些取决于研究者对主题的参与，他或她做出的内在的理论，规范和方法选择，研究者对变革做出的野心以及道德问题。本文探讨了欧洲玛丽居里ITN关于可持续场所塑造（SUSPLACE）的研究计划中研究员的各种角色。通过分析15个SUSPLACE项目并反思Wittmayer和Schäpke（Sustain Sci 9（4）：483–496，2014）确定的研究人员的作用，我们描述了研究人员的理论定位，方法，在地方的参与导致了不同的研究角色。本文使用的方法是基于交互式过程，与SUSPLACE联盟的早期研究人员（研究员）共同产生知识。结果表明，研究人员运用了一系列地点意义。各种各样的方法可以使研究参与者表达意见，并将他们聚集在一起，共同思考价值观，网络和理解，共同创造知识。使用了“可持续性”的多种概念，反映了不同的规范观点。这些选择和观点导致每个人都扮演多种角色，探索可持续的场所塑造的各种途径，并影响场所关系。根据我们的发现，我们为“嵌入式研究人员”引入了一个框架：