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Introduction The social economy is gaining renewed attention across Europe as societies face deep and persistent challenges related to inequality, social exclusion, and the transformation of welfare systems. In this context, understanding how economic activities can better serve social goals has become increasingly urgent. The DICES project (Horizon Europe – Cluster 2 Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society), implemented by Diesis Network, contributes to this debate by ex

For social economy organisations (SEOs) stepping into research, stakeholder management can feel like unfamiliar territory in a new field. Stakeholder management is the process of identifying, analysing, and engaging with individuals or groups who can affect or be affected by a project, and it is an important element of an engaged research project. Unlike traditional research, engaged research is collaborative by nature, oftentimes bringing together SEOs, researchers, funders,

Research ethics can sound like something that only researchers or scientists in a university need to care about. But at its core ethics is simply about treating people well, being honest and transparent about what you are doing, and protecting those with whom you are carrying out your research, in this case community research. This short guide covers three main concepts that come up more often than others: consent, confidentiality and positionality. Here we try to explain eac

For social economy organisations, a clear understanding of the different ways communities can be involved in research, and who holds power in that process, is essential. Without this understanding, research risks becoming tokenistic, rather than a tool to support social change and improve services. A useful framework for understanding levels of participation is Sherry Arnstein's Ladder of Citizen Participation (1969). This ladder illustrates participation as a spectrum, rang

Citizen engagement is reshaping the way research and innovation are conceived across Europe. More and more, projects recognise that meaningful dialogue with citizens is not an accessory but the starting point for building knowledge that is relevant, applicable and socially grounded. At the centre of this shift are social economy organisations, whose daily work with communities positions them as natural connectors between people’s lived realities and the research processes tha

Partnerships between Social Economy Organisations (SEOs) and researchers can form a powerful alliance. Yet, there are many misconceptions about it. In this blog, let’s try to bust the top 5 myths about this collaboration: Myth 1: "SEOs lack research capacity" The Assumption: Research is the exclusive domain of academics with PhDs and with dedicated labs. SEOs, with their focus on community activities, are seen as lacking the time, skills, or infrastructure to contribute m

At the heart of the RISE project is a belief in the power of collaboration to create more socially impactful research. One key concept that aligns strongly with this vision is Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). While the European Commission formally enshrined Responsible Research and Innovation as a cross-cutting issue in Horizon 2020 (2014–2020), its relevance goes far beyond policy. It offers practical guidance for how to engage more meaningfully with society throu

The collaboration between academic research institutions and Social Economy Organisations (SEOs) in Citizen Science * (CS) projects represents a powerful shift towards transdisciplinary, societally relevant science. However, the true potential of these partnerships is only realised when both parties share a common understanding of the foundational concepts that oversee ethical, rigorous, and impactful research. This is the catch: w ithout a shared vocabulary, even the best

Engaged Research can seem daunting. It requires a lot of time and staff effort and if resources are strained – which is the case for many...

Are you research ready? For many Social Economy Organisations (SEOs), this question can be a stumbling block when it comes to engaging in research. As highlighted in recent RISE project workshops which took place across Europe, a lack of clarity around the required internal capacity, resources, and partnership structures often keeps SEOs from participating in engaged research. Even those with some research experience may not have the structures in place to fully integrate res

Social economy organisations (SEOs) are a unique category of entities that combine commercial strategies with the objective of generating social impact. Social entrepreneurship as a field has experienced a growing focus on understanding the methods, contexts, and results that characterise and sustain SEOs (Bhardwaj et al., 2022). Basis for this knowledge is the application of thorough research methodologies. Research methodologies offer systematic approaches for examining,

As part of the RISE project’s mission to foster inclusive and impactful research practices, a series of workshops were recently held across Germany, Spain, Belgium, Ireland, and others. These sessions aimed to uncover the challenges that Social Economy Organisations (SEOs) face in participating in Engaged Research (ER). The workshops brought together a diverse mix of SEO representatives and other key stakeholders from academia, policy, and the private sector to collaborativel