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In Common · July 6 · 52 min

144: The Cumulation Problem with Michael Rose, Jens Newig, and Sina Leipold

Scholars publish more papers every year, but does that output actually add up to knowledge? In this episode, Michael sat down with three scholars who have been asking exactly that question within the field of environmental governance. The guests are editors and contributors behind a special issue of Environmental Policy and Governance (Fall 2025), dedicated to the problem of scientific cumulation: whether research in this field is building on itself, or simply accumulating. Guests Michael Rose — Senior Researcher, Leuphana University Jens Newig — Professor, Leuphana University Sina Leipold — Professor, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research In this episode Michael Rose and Jens discuss their own contribution to the special issue, "How to Assess Knowledge Cumulation in Environmental Governance Research? Conceptual and Empirical Explorations," which analyzes the Earth Systems Governance (ESG) research community. Their findings are sobering: ESG research shows limited potential for knowledge cumulation, marked by a fragmented journal landscape, core-periphery citation structures, heterogeneous research questions, and few shared reference works, concepts, or frameworks. The conversation also ranges across the special issue as a whole, which tackles the cumulation problem from several angles: Bibliometric analysis mapping how key concepts like "environmental governance process" are used inconsistently across research communities Methodology, including whether archetype analysis in social-ecological systems research can serve as a genuine building block for theory Why researchers chase novelty and what that costs the field Forest carbon offsetting in Uganda as a case study showing how even a small, focused body of literature can fail to accumulate when papers rest on incompatible theoretical assumptions Epistemological diversity, indigenous and local knowledge, and the role science-policy interfaces play in translating knowledge into practice in climate and biodiversity governance Link to special issue: Special issue: Knowledge Cumulation in Environmental Governance, Environmental Policy and Governance, Fall 2025

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Scholars publish more papers every year, but does that output actually add up to knowledge? In this episode, Michael sat down with three scholars who have been asking exactly that question within the field of environmental governance.

The guests are editors and contributors behind a special issue of Environmental Policy and Governance (Fall 2025), dedicated to the problem of scientific cumulation: whether research in this field is building on itself, or simply accumulating.

Guests
  • Michael Rose — Senior Researcher, Leuphana University
  • Jens Newig — Professor, Leuphana University
  • Sina Leipold — Professor, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research
In this episode

Michael Rose and Jens discuss their own contribution to the special issue, "How to Assess Knowledge Cumulation in Environmental Governance Research? Conceptual and Empirical Explorations," which analyzes the Earth Systems Governance (ESG) research community. Their findings are sobering: ESG research shows limited potential for knowledge cumulation, marked by a fragmented journal landscape, core-periphery citation structures, heterogeneous research questions, and few shared reference works, concepts, or frameworks.

The conversation also ranges across the special issue as a whole, which tackles the cumulation problem from several angles:

  • Bibliometric analysis mapping how key concepts like "environmental governance process" are used inconsistently across research communities
  • Methodology, including whether archetype analysis in social-ecological systems research can serve as a genuine building block for theory
  • Why researchers chase novelty and what that costs the field
  • Forest carbon offsetting in Uganda as a case study showing how even a small, focused body of literature can fail to accumulate when papers rest on incompatible theoretical assumptions
  • Epistemological diversity, indigenous and local knowledge, and the role science-policy interfaces play in translating knowledge into practice in climate and biodiversity governance

Link to special issue:

Special issue: Knowledge Cumulation in Environmental Governance, Environmental Policy and Governance, Fall 2025

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