Real-world laboratories (RwLs) often put researchers in
highly demanding research contexts regarding their roles and
self-conceptions. Helpful roles of researchers have been
described but still little is known about the factors influencing
the adoption of certain roles. Using data from three parallel
RwLs in Wuppertal, Germany, we found four roles of researchers:
the reflective scientist, the facilitator, the change agent and the
(self-)reflexive scientist. We sequenced the RwLs into situations
and analysed them by RwL process steps and conditions,
considering the roles of researchers as outcomes.
Although the conditions convey only limited explan atory
power, there was a consistent picture that being pressured to
carry out real-world action, having a practice partner with
fewer resources and working without a functional project group
is (in conjunction) sufficient to cause the researcher to partake
in activities beyond conventional research. Process steps played
a minor role. Our research on factors influencing the adoption
of roles may help RwL researchers to perform their roles as
intended.