Changing Boundaries: The Challenges

of Interdisciplinary Research

Catherine Lyall

ISSTI/InnogenUniversity of Edinburgh

 

Definitions of interdisciplinary research

Discipline A

Discipline B

Discipline C

Multidisciplinary research

Interdisciplinary research

Discipline A

Discipline BDiscipline C

Issue A

Issue BIssue C

Transdisciplinary research

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

 

 

Contribution to development of disciplines

Contribution to practical problem solving

Level of integration

Multi-disciplinaryResearch

Inter-disciplinar

yResearch

Low High

Problem focused

Academic orientatio

n

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

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

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

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

 

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