Contract of research collaboration between US: Kate Rich/Feral MBA and Femke Snelting/Constant

1. Purpose and context of the Research Conversation: 
1a) This much is (?) defined. A process of thinking together, a mutual investigation, which emerges from a developing conversation between Kate Rich (Feral Trade) and Femke Snelting (Constant) . This process we are calling 'Research conversation' and its subject 'undisciplined research'. 

1b) What lingers outside definition. 'Undisciplined research': including [what it might be, how to make a space for it] <- it is about definition of something that resists to be defined. How to highlight this paradox?, A contract for that which resists definition, yet at the same time a stated aim for making it (the contract) is to make the research agenda explicit between us, the researchers. Perhaps an exercise in perplexity.  How to set the terms, how to think about modes of confidence, validation/not validating, scale, visibility and methods, and what interfaces, tunnels or other mutually beneficial exchanges might be possible between undisciplined and disciplined research.

2. This Contract: This contract is designed to bridge potentially incompatible cultures / jurisdictions between the work of 'undisciplined' research (embodied in Constant's worksession process and that of 'disciplined' (ah, good they are both in quotes) research structures (represented by Kate's forthcoming PhD https://3d3research.co.uk/student/kate-rich/, at the University of the West of England). It is drafted on an understanding of incommensurability as something to consider but not solve (Tsing / Strathern); and with an interest to test how collaboration can be constructed between non-aligned participants / across radical difference / as a mutual exchange of expertise and positions (Snelting). As such this agreement is considered first and foremost as an exploratory declaration of context/s and intention/s which also leaves windows open to negotiation (Orsi), amendments, write-ons, cut-ups, mutations, adaptations and polyphonic (mis)interpretations (Tsing)

This contractis is also a part of a suite of contracts being sketeched out by Kate as counter-materials for the many tangled strands of her trans-PhD investigations. 
See also http://subetha.fo.am/p/ibex_informed_consent

These contracts attempt to hold some of the unique qualities of 'sharing economy' agreements, described by lawyer Janelle Orsi as living documents which govern ongoing relationships, which all parties have a hand in creating, and in which changed circumstances will be managed collaboratively as they arise. Not all agreements are contracts (Orsi), for example an agreement to give without something in return is not considered contract, So this document will also consider the exchanges.

2b. Exchanges. When we exchange commitments offering something of value to each other, our legal systems, with some exceptions, generally say that we have created a contract (backed by law).
What are we contracting/exchanging?

• Mutual
  • interest in the experiment of thinking across disciplined and undisciplined research
  • value of the realtime thinking
  • source materials, theory, material experience
  • cross-training time! from Katherine Gibson: training each other up, for reslience / to present the holding down of projects and skills

• Distinct
  • Constant: Enlarging the reflexive framework around worksession evaluations, ensuring  the thinking process continues even if it moves to a disciplined place, understanding/articulating that decision without isolating Constant from the knowledge.
  • fMBA: The research overlaps with varied other contexts / collaborators / co-thinkers- sail cargo alliance, foam network, institute for experiments with business (ibex), cube, feral business research network, feral trade, fMBA.

3. Proposed procedures to be Followed:  We agree that our discussions may be observed and recorded by their participants (ourselves, and also machinic agents such as etherpad versioning). Specific agreement will be sought for any instance of audio recording, photographs, or copies of documents. We may also ask ourselves to review, comment upon and contribute to any research reports. The exchanges in this research conversation are agreed to remain at a level of abstraction.

4. Duration and extent:  This research conversation commenced February 2018 and will run until December 2019, potentially longer. We agree that our involvement in these research questions  may exceed the timespan and contexts detailed here and is open to developments which we are unable to predict on the basis of knowledge now available to us (Macneil).

5. Confidentiality and IP: All recordings and images of the  research conversation will remain confidential, except by explicit agreement. No IP assignments will be made. All research findings, including this contract, will be available to the public, free of charge, under the conditions of the Free Art License http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en/.

6. Free/open Participation: Our participation in this research is free and voluntary. We may stop or pause at any time. If we have negotiated this contract to our satisfaction at this point in time. we will sign and date below. We each take a copy of this form for our records. Here: wondering about mentioning exchange?  How to entwine the free/voluntary with the exchange...

exchange relations. being formally involved in the phd research - femke: not to isolate it from where & what she is working on. 


Participant Signature

Date 05 September 2018


Print Name Femke Snelting


Participant Signature

Date 25/12/18

Print Name Kate Rich


References:
    
    Constant: http://constantvzw.org
    
    Feral Trade:: http://feraltrade.org

    Free Art License: http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en/
    
    Macneil: Macneil, I.R., 1973. The many futures of contracts. S. Cal. l. Rev., 47, p.691.
    
    Orsi: Orsi, J., 2012. Practicing law in the sharing economy: helping people build cooperatives, social enterprise, and local sustainable economies. Chicago, IL: American Bar Association.
    
    Strathern: Strathern, M., 2005. Partial connections. Rowman Altamira.
    
    Tsing:Tsing, A.L (2012). On Nonscalability: the living world is not amenable to precision-nested scales. Common Knowledge, 18(3), pp.505-524.
                          
    Worksessions: http://constantvzw.org/w/?u=http://media.constantvzw.org/wefts/103/