Research & Knowledge Services
Reclaiming Epistemic Space Through Decolonial, Feminist, & Interdisciplinary Methodologies
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Research & Knowledge Services
We do not approach research as a neutral exercise in knowledge accumulation, but as a situated, political, and ethical practice. Our research and knowledge work are grounded in our decolonising knowledge production framework. CTDC rejects extractive and depoliticised knowledge models that privilege institutional authority over lived realities. Instead, we centre knowledge systems historically excluded by dominant epistemologies, feminist, indigenous, transnational, queer, and diasporic, and uphold research as a practice of structural accountability, community engagement, and epistemic justice.
What We Offer:
CTDC offers research and knowledge work rooted in decolonial and feminist methodologies. We approach knowledge production as a relational, situated, and ethically charged process, one that interrogates social phenomena, maps systems of power, and foregrounds marginalised epistemic traditions.
Reflexive, Contextual & Interdisciplinary Research Design
We provide advanced research design consulting that foregrounds positionality, context, and relational ethics. Our designs draw on a broad range of epistemic traditions, incorporating narrative, ethnographic, archival, participatory, and discourse-based methodologies. Every design process integrates political analysis and structural critique, ensuring that inquiry reflects and responds to conditions of power and injustice.
Feminist & Decolonial Research Practice
We undertake and support applied, collaborative, and standalone research that interrogates the operations of power across systems and geographies. Our research themes include gender, sexuality, migration, political violence, humanitarian governance, development, justice, and the politics of knowledge production itself. All research engagements are underpinned by a commitment to non-extractive methods, radical reflexivity, and ethical co-production.
Critical Analysis & Structural Interpretation
Our analytical processes are grounded in intersectional and materialist critique. We examine how power circulates through institutional narratives, knowledge hierarchies, and representational regimes, moving beyond descriptive analysis toward structural interrogation. Our work foregrounds global-local entanglements and challenges the technocratic abstraction of lived realities.
Knowledge Translation & Epistemic Accessibility
We support the development of outputs that are analytically robust, politically conscious, and publicly accessible. These include academic papers, policy briefs, pedagogical materials, advocacy publications, multimedia content, and community-validated research outputs. Our editorial processes prioritise language justice, anti-colonial citation practices, joint ownerships, and inclusive authorship.
Research Ethics, Capacity Building, & Institutional Accompaniment
We deliver bespoke capacity-building for individuals, collectives, and institutions engaged in research, advocacy, and education. We offer advanced trainings in feminist, decolonial, and structurally grounded research methods and methodologies, with emphasis on community accountability, affect, and ethics in practice. We also support institutions to audit, revise, and transform their research agendas, knowledge systems, and content strategies in alignment with decolonial principles.
Decolonising Knowledge Systems
At the core of our work is our signature Decolonising Knowledge Production Framework, which provides a critical methodology for interrogating how knowledge is produced, by whom, for what purposes, and with what consequences. This framework informs our research design, partnerships, pedagogy, and content development, guiding institutions and researchers toward the reclamation of epistemic agency and the dismantling of canonical authority.
How We Deliver
- Co-designed research questions and methodologies with partners and stakeholders
- In-depth scoping to understand context, purpose, and positionality
- Using methods such as participatory research, ethnography, and power analysis
- Collaborative research processes with communities, institutions, and movements
- Multilingual, accessible outputs tailored to diverse audiences
- Continuous feedback, validation, and learning throughout the research cycle
- Editorial guidance and dissemination strategies aligned with ethical and political values
- Translating findings into actionable insights that inform strategy, policy, or organisational change
- Honouring relational engagement and shared ownership over extractive research practices
- Treating research as an ongoing, reflective process that supports structural transformation
Whether the aim is to challenge injustice, interrogate systems, or generate grounded knowledge, working with CTDC means engaging research as a political, relational, and courageous act, one that prioritises ethics, complexity, and transformation over comfort or validation.
