Introduction

Abstract

Research takes place in a variety of organizations throughout the society. In contrast to university-based research, considerably less has been written about research and its informational premises and conditions outside academia. This introductory chapter introduces the edited volume on research outside academia and asks what is research, who are engaged in it and why, how knowledge making works, what challenges and opportunities there are, how research informs and how it is informed by different actors and sources in extra-academic institutions.