Changing Boundaries: The Challenges of Interdisciplinary Research

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Changing Boundaries The Challenges of
Interdisciplinary Research
 


Catherine Lyall ISSTI/Innogen University of
Edinburgh
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Definitions of interdisciplinary research
Discipline A
Discipline A
Discipline B
Discipline B
Discipline C
Discipline C
Interdisciplinary research
Multidisciplinary research
Issue A
Issue B
Transdisciplinary research
Issue C
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Types of interdisciplinary research

• Academically-oriented ID Research
• often longer-term collaborations
• discipline focused
• helps disciplines to evolve
• Problem-focused ID Research
• shorter term collaborations
• directed to specific real world problems
• could be interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary

 


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Contribution to practical problem solving
Multi-disciplinaryResearch
Problem focused
Inter-disciplinaryResearch
 


Academic orientation
Contribution to development of disciplines
Low
High
Level of integration
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Motivations for ID research

• Policy issue interdisciplinary (e.g. transport,
  environment)
• Knowledge transfer (lab to real world)
• Research user driven (not necessarily commercial)
  and heavily applied
• Single discipline research had encountered a
  bottle-neck, more than one discipline needed to
  make a breakthrough

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Factors that discourage ID research

• Poor career structures for academic
  interdisciplinary researchers
• Low esteem of interdisciplinary research by
  mono-disciplinary colleagues
• Lack of opportunities to publish research results
  in high ranking refereed journals
• Discrimination by referees against
  interdisciplinary research proposals and
  publications

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Skills needs for individual researchers

• Understanding the languages, research methods and
  cultures of different disciplines
• High tolerance of ambiguity personality more
  important than discipline base
• Willingness to learn from other disciplines

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Skills needs for research managers

• interdisciplinary background
• respect for other disciplines
• good interpersonal and team building skills
• proactive in engaging with other partners
• not too ambitious in their own field
• interested in a wide range of subjects

 


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References

• Bruce, A., Lyall, C., Tait, J. and Williams, R.
  (2004), Interdisciplinary Integration in the
  Fifth Framework Programme, Futures, 36/4, pp.
  457-470.
• Tait J. and Lyall C. (2001) Short Term
  Investigation into ESRC Funded Interdisciplinary
  Research. Report to ESRC published as SUPRA
  Working Paper 26.
• Forthcoming article