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Bullshit in the Sustainability and Transitions Literature: a Provocation

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  • Julian Kirchherr

    (Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University)

Abstract

Research on sustainability and transitions is burgeoning. Some of this research is helping to solve humankind’s most pressing problems. However, as this provocation argues, up to 50% of the articles that are now being published in many interdisciplinary sustainability and transitions journals may be categorized as “scholarly bullshit.” These are articles that typically engage with the latest sustainability and transitions buzzword (e.g., circular economy), while contributing little to none to the scholarly body of knowledge on the topic. A typology of “scholarly bullshit” is proposed which includes the following archetypes: boring question scholarship, literature review of literature reviews, recycled research, master thesis madness, and activist rants. Since “scholarly bullshit” articles engage with the latest academic buzzwords, they also tend to accumulate significant citations and are thus welcomed by many journal editors. Citations matter most in the metric-driven logic of the academic system, and this type of scholarship, sadly, is thus unlikely to decrease in the coming years.

Suggested Citation

  • Julian Kirchherr, 2023. "Bullshit in the Sustainability and Transitions Literature: a Provocation," Circular Economy and Sustainability,, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:circec:v:3:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s43615-022-00175-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s43615-022-00175-9
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    Cited by:

    1. Aschemann-Witzel, Jessica & Mulders, Maartje D.G.H. & Mouritzen, Simone Lykke Tranholm, 2023. "Outside-in and bottom-up: Using sustainability transitions to understand the development phases of mainstreaming plant-based in the food sector in a meat and dairy focused economy," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).

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