From Fragmented Research to Cumulative Strategic Knowledge: A Directed Research Architecture for Federating Scientifically Autonomous Projects
Author: Jamel Doura
Journal: DIM Review – International Review of Knowledge Management and Strategic Planning
ISSN: 3125-9308
Article Type: Conceptual and Methodological Research Article
Year: 2026
Abstract
Complex strategic problems increasingly generate research across multiple disciplines, institutions and methodological traditions, yet the accumulation of studies does not necessarily produce cumulative knowledge. This article develops the Directed Research Architecture (DRA), a proposed research-governance architecture for federating independently governed research projects around a shared strategic problem space. The framework comprises five core functions: a Shared Strategic Problem Space, a Shared Evidence Architecture, an Independently Governed Research Portfolio, Contradiction-Preserving Cross-Project Synthesis, and Evidence-Driven Federated Portfolio Renewal. Independent scientific governance is defined through theoretical, methodological, interpretative and publication autonomy. The proposed contribution of the DRA is configurational rather than elemental. Cumulative Strategic Knowledge is proposed as the principal scientific outcome. The framework is theoretically specified and empirically testable but is not presented as validated or superior to existing research arrangements.
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