Title: Publicly accountable deliberation using digital ICT? Building understanding and integrity in KQA practices

Authors: Jean-Marc Douguet; Philippe Lanceleur; Martin Paul O'Connor

Addresses: Laboratoire Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution (ESE), Université Paris-Saclay, Site IDEEV, 12 route 128, Université Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France ' L'Association ePLANETe Blue, Château de Cormorin, 200 Impasse de Mizavrin, 45600 Villemurlin, France ' L'Association ePLANETe Blue, Château de Cormorin, 200 Impasse de Mizavrin, 45600 Villemurlin, France; Professor of Economics, Université Paris-Saclay, France

Abstract: We take up the challenge of publicly accountable deliberation processes for building integrity of knowledge claims in situations of controversy. We characterise knowledge quality appraisal (KQA) in a perspective of 'post normal science' (PNS), and propose the structuring of KQA as a process of deliberative multi-criteria and multi-actor evaluation, with a 4-dimensional framework (what, who, why and how) for 'extended peer community' dialogue. Turning to the question, to what extent can such procedures be effective, we insist that implementing a robust KQA procedure in situations of societal controversy can, both in theory and in practice, be only imperfect at best. Nonetheless, deliberative KQA methods can be motivated, on epistemological as well as moral grounds, in support of (utopian) ideals of inclusive, open, convivial, and humane societies.

Keywords: deliberation; extended peer community; integrity; knowledge quality assessment; KQA; post normal science; PNS.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSD.2024.140676

International Journal of Sustainable Development, 2024 Vol.27 No.4, pp.383 - 413

Accepted: 15 Sep 2023
Published online: 30 Aug 2024 *

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