Methods as horizons of possibility: HOPE for the future

Abstract

Possibility Studies calls for methodological innovation to capture dynamic, future-oriented phenomena often overlooked by traditional approaches. This editorial reflects on the need for flexible, participatory methods capable of tracing how horizons of possibility expand, contract and evolve across different contexts. We introduce Horizons of Possibility Estimation (HOPE), a method designed to map the perspectives, positions and dialogues that shape human experience and action. HOPE offers a structured yet adaptable framework for analysing how possibilities are generated, constrained or transformed over time, across domains ranging from education and the arts to social and environmental action. Beyond proposing a new analytical tool, we argue for a broader methodological imagination within Possibility Studies – one that embraces multiplicity, reflexivity and the co-creation of knowledge. Innovating methods is not merely a technical task but a fundamental epistemological and ethical undertaking for the future of the field.

Keywords

Dialogue HOPE horizons of possibility methodology Possibility Studies reflexivity

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