Unearthing assumptions and power: A framework for research, policy, and practice

Addressing complex problems like biodiversity loss and climate change will likely fail to respect diverse worldviews, knowledge systems, and values unless underlying assumptions and power are explicitly recognized, accurately situated, and carefully analyzed. Assumptions and knowledge about the world, known as onto-epistemologies, underpin all problem and solution framing. Yet, practical information about the onto-epistemological assumptions themselves, associated power dynamics, and principles to support more respectful engagement with diverse worldviews and knowledge systems remains elusive within and across research, policy, and implementation. We provide a framework that encompasses real, relative, and relational assumptions and situate them with respect to one another using worked examples with an emphasis on biodiversity conservation. Finally, we offer five principles to guide research, policy, and implementation practices by (1) situating assumptions, (2) considering power dynamics, (3) respecting (in)commensurabilities, (4) (re)framing assumptions with the intent to create space for inclusion, and (5) practicing onto-epistemological analytics often and carefully.