Considerations for moving from collaboration to intervention

Ruckenstein calls for social scientists to engage actively with the actors shaping digital society, outlining three modes of collaborative engagement: ‘creating trouble’, ‘securing breathing space’, and ‘composing futures’. While these strategies generate critical insights and reflective spaces, this commentary seeks to centre the interventional purposes of collaboration. This commentary emphasises the necessity for alignment between researchers’ interests and collaborators’ goals, as well as the importance of strategic timing in collaborative projects. By addressing these challenges, the commentary builds on Ruckenstein's framework, offering practical considerations in choosing collaborative projects which enable meaningful interventions.