Research
Building the evidence base for trust — the research programme of Acacia Trust.
The Core Argument
Trust infrastructure must be built on evidence. Without research, we are guessing. With research, we can design systems that work.
Acacia Trust is a research institution. Its research programme is designed to build the evidence base for trust infrastructure.
This research covers a wide range of topics — from economic history to AI and decision-making, from human judgment to governance and standards.
Research is the foundation on which everything else is built.
Research Areas
The topics we are investigating.
Economic history
How have economies evolved? What can we learn from past transitions? Understanding the past helps us navigate the future.
AI and decision-making
How does AI change decision-making? What are the risks and opportunities? How can we design systems that support good judgment?
Human judgment
What is judgment? How does it work? How can we support it? How can we improve it?
Context and meaning
What is context? Why does it matter? How can we make it visible, transferable, and accountable?
Organisational decision-making
How do organisations make decisions? What are the barriers to good judgment? How can we design better systems?
Governance and standards
How should trust infrastructure be governed? What standards are needed? How can we ensure accountability and legitimacy?
The Acacia perspective:
These research areas are not separate. They are interconnected. Judgment, context, and trust are not separate topics — they are parts of a single system. Our research reflects this.
How Research Informs Practice
From evidence to action.
Design
Research informs the design of ContextOS and other tools. It ensures that they are based on evidence, not assumptions.
Standards
Research informs the development of standards. It ensures that standards are grounded in evidence and reflect best practice.
Training
Research informs training. It ensures that people are learning what works, not just what is assumed to work.
Evaluation
Research informs evaluation. It provides the frameworks and metrics to assess whether trust infrastructure is working.
Key insight:
Research is not an academic exercise. It is the foundation of practice. Without research, we are building on sand. With research, we are building on rock.
Research Outputs
What we produce.
Research notes
Short, accessible summaries of research findings. They are designed for practitioners, not just academics.
Case notes
Detailed case studies of trust infrastructure in practice. They show what works, what doesn't, and why.
Working papers
Longer, more detailed research papers. They are designed for researchers and practitioners who want to go deeper.
Toolkits and frameworks
Practical toolkits and frameworks that translate research into action. They are designed for people who are building trust infrastructure.
The Acacia perspective:
Research outputs are not the end of the process. They are the beginning. They are designed to be used — by practitioners, policymakers, and anyone who is building trust infrastructure.
Reading path: