Collaborative approaches to innovation with
citizens are captured in various and often interchangeable terms, such
as collaborative innovation, co-creation, open innovation, social
innovation and innovation network.
A
systematic review of the literature was used to analyse this research
area. The aim was to explore how terms regarding collaborative
approaches to innovation with citizens have been defined and applied in
the public sector and to identify research streams that characterise the
literature.
We found that collaborative
approaches to innovation with citizens are named, defined and
conceptualised in different ways and are poorly defined, leading to
conceptual limitations and hampering comparisons between studies.
The
three terms used most often—co-creation, collaborative innovation and
open innovation—share many similarities, although they stem from
different academic origins. Our discussion of the terms may contribute
to a clearer conceptual distinction between the terms, and improve both
analytical precision and empirical comparison.
