1 Chapter 1 Epistemic justice, participatory research and valuable capabilities Melanie Walker and Alejandra Boni Pre final version Chapter published in Walker, M., & Boni, A. (2020). Epistemic Justice, Participatory Research and Valuable Capabilities. In Participatory Research, Capabilities and Epistemic Justice (pp. 1-25). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. In this book we take up the challenge of conceptualising and demonstrating in eight empirically-based chapters how non-ideal epistemic justice in real world education settings might be fostered though participatory research. We further make the claim that being able to make epistemic contributions is fundamental to human wellbeing, to a dignified human life and to wide freedoms (Fricker 2007, 2015) and that such contributions and the corresponding capabilities and functionings can be fostered in and through participatory research processes. Although we see Amartya Sen’s (2009) capabilities and functionings as the ends of human development (Ul Haq 2003), in the specific space of education Sen does not talk about epistemic justice although he does emphasise participation in public reasoning practices. At the same time, we are aware, and the chapters demonstrate, that participation in itself does not guarantee egalitarian epistemic outcomes. Projects may both reinforce and undermine reproduction in and through higher education, depending on multi-level contextual influences and the depth of participation. Sen has also said little that could address structural injustices flowing specifically (but not only) from the epistemic domain. Thus in the book, we go beyond Sen in taking participation and deliberation to also have the role of advancing epistemic justice, with a distinctive educational focus on epistemic functionings and not just the capability. This concern with functionings enables us to interrogate and expose the external conditions which may place obstacles in the way of realising epistemic capabilities and hence educational development. To this end, we show through the book chapters the potential to expand people’s multi-dimensional capabilities and functionings in and through participatory processes and projects. The aims of the book