Due to the interdisciplinary orientation of the research centre, ZIRIUS is intensively involved in numerous collaborations with innovative forms of integration for research approaches from the social sciences, humanities, natural sciences and engineering.
Far-reaching social changes are not only reflected in changing attitudes, behavioural patterns and conflicts, but also materialize in the physical environment: they change technology, architecture and infrastructure, which in turn structure possibilities for social action. Social and technical transformation processes can therefore only be apprehended entirely if these physical aspects are also taken into account alongside the classic social science dimensions. Many research questions on socio-technical systems and interrelationships can only be pursued if disciplinary boundaries are overcome and i) methods from different subject areas are applied, combined and integrated and ii) new, interdisciplinary methods are developed. The research area Interdisciplinary Integration of Methods deals with the challenges arising in this context.
In order to reach this aim, e.g., the results of quantitative or qualitative surveys are used to develop and parameterise agent-based simulations or are incorporated into the weighting of multi-criteria decision analyses. Also, data collection using social science methods is coordinated with the measurement of technical or medical data, or multidisciplinary problem analyses are integrated across disciplines using Group Delphis. In addition, qualitative system analyses and scenario technology are coupled with numerical simulations or made practically tangible by processing them into serious games. In the latter two areas, the Cross-Impact Balance Analysis (CIB) method developed at ZIRIUS is usually used, which is why the research area Interdisciplinary Integration of Methods integration is closely linked to the CIB Lab.
Further Projects
Current Projects of this Research Area
Multi-stage scenario creation using cross-impact-balance analysis (CIB) and REMix, taking into account path changes and disruptions
In the joint project Genese, a systematic characterization of different aspects of societal change, the recording of the effects of change on electricity demand, a detailed modeling of the change in demand profiles and the evaluation of these profiles via the integration into energy system models with low temporal resolution as well as electricity market models with high temporal resolution is carried out. The CIB-Lab analyzes aspects of societal change and creates consistent, cross-sectoral driver constellations for demand change with the CIB, which act as a starting point as well as a link between the models.
As a consequence of climate change, conflicts over groundwater and surface water are also expected to increase in Germany in the future. As part of the Ladenburger Kolleg of the Daimler and Benz Foundation, a joint project coordinated by ZIRIUS is researching these possible conflicts. With the help of participatory modeling and serious gaming, future contexts and actor strategies are examined in their interactions.
Wolfgang Hauser
Dr.Spokesperson Method Development Research Area / Research Associate
Sabine Mücke
Office