Extending the reach of research as a public good has become widely recognized as a policy priority for research funding organizations in many nations. Yet, there is little academic merit given to such work, presenting scholars with the paradox of a “zero-sum language game” in which they succeed in mobilizing knowledge across discourse communities—such as governments, industry, media, community organizations and the public—at the cost of their success within academic discourse communities. To illustrate this paradox, the article places some focus on the “knowledge mobilization” priority for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada. The article offers an intersection of discourse theory and game theory to consider how members of academic discourse communities can be understood as players in language games, positioned to make “moves” that change the game-rules, that in turn, permit changes to what are recognized as legitimate, academic discursive practices.
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