why and how to promote interdisciplinarity in research...
TRANSCRIPT
UDA IKASTAROAK / CURSOS DE VERANO / SUMMER COURSES UPV / EHU
WHYANDHOWTOPROMOTEINTERDISCIPLINARITYINRESEARCH
ATTHEUNIVERSITY?fromepistemological topractical aspects
PierreDosSantosBordeauxUniversity
UDA IKASTAROAK CURSOSDEVERANOSUMMER COURSESUPV / EHU
UDA IKASTAROAK / CURSOS DE VERANO / SUMMER COURSES UPV / EHU
VIRTUESANDVICESOFMONODISCIPLINARITY AND
MULTIDISCIPLINARITYsomehistorical,practicalandepistemologicalconsiderations
UDA IKASTAROAK CURSOSDEVERANOSUMMER COURSESUPV / EHU
THEVIRTUESOFDISCIPLINARYSTRUCTURINGOFSCIENCES"Natural"evolutionwiththedevelopmentofsciences, (sincethe19thcentury)
Accompaniedthebuildingofmodernuniversities
DivisionofWorkandSpecialization
• Defined"consistent"areasofexpertise
• Constructedrelevantresearchobjects
• Gaveconceptualframeworksofreference
• Establishedreasoningmodes
• Setcategories
• Divisionoftheworkvs "speciation »• Constructionoftheresearchobjectvs"reification"oftheresearchobject
THEVICESOFDISCIPLINARYSTRUCTURINGOFSCIENCES
• Masksthecontinuumofresearchobjectsdisciplinesdealwith
Breakinsolidarity
"Institutionalization"ofdisciplines
THEVICESOFDISCIPLINARYSTRUCTURINGOFSCIENCES
Eachdisciplineislikeajar.Onceyouareinoneofthesejars,youneedgeniustogetoutorinnovate:youthinkyouliveinnaturalboundaries.
TofinishwiththedisciplinaryEgos?
Veyne, P. (1983). Les Grecs ont-ils cru à leurs mythes ?
Adapted from pers.communication with F.Darbellay
(Multi)disciplinaryconfigurationsOrderorchaosofdisciplines
Psychology
PoliticalSciences
Economy
Law
Anthropology(ies)
Sciencesofeducation
LifeSciences
Sociology
Sciencesofcommunication
CognitiveSciences
MedicineSciencesofenvironment
NaturalSciences
"Whatachimaerathenisman,whatanovelty,whatamonster,whatchaos,whatasubject ofcontradiction,whataprodigy!Judgeofallthings,yetanimbecileearthworm;depository oftruth,yetasewerofuncertainty anderror;prideandrefuseoftheuniverse.Whoshall resolvethistangle?”―BlaisePascal,Pensées
Operatingconceptsandconceptnetwork
DISCIPLINARYCompartmentation,Shared background
DisciplinarySelfreliance
DEGREEOFCOLLABORATIONBETWEENDISCIPLINESLOW HIGH
MULTIDISCIPLINARYShared topic,
Communication,Juxtapositionof
perspectives, autonomy
JuxtaposeSequenceCoordinate
TRANSDISCIPLINARYProblem-solving,Implementation,
Relationship betweenscience &society
TranscendTransgressTransform
INTERDISCIPLINARYIntegration of
disciplinary insights,cooperation,
interdependence
IntegrateInteractConnectSynthetize
Mix
Themulti/interdisciplinaritylikelytogoagainst
FROMMONODISCIPLINARITY TOPLURIDISCIPLINARITY ANDINTERDISCIPLINARITY :Aturbulentevolution
THEVICESOFINTERDISCIPLINARITY INSCIENCESThe"violent"polemicsofthe1970s(especiallyinthesocialsciences)
• “scientificity”• Rigor• relevanceofconceptualframeworks• relevanceofthestatementofpostulatesandhypotheses• relevanceofthestatementofmethodsandtoolsofanalysis• ...
- How can human societies generate enough energy to meet human needs without causing irreparabledamage to the planet?
- How do individual DNA sequences interact with environmental factors to influence the incidence of adisease?
- How does the transmission of electrical signals between neurons generate a set of subtle and complexbehaviours?
- What will be the impacts of changes in the Earth's atmosphere on the climate, glaciers and oceans?- What combination of biological, environmental and social factors is causing the increase in obesity
rates seen in many parts of the world?- How can innovations in agriculture feed a growing humanpopulation?- How can human societies act to provide a better framework for integration, fight against inequalities
and promoteeconomic development?- How to understand the diversity of cultures, their historical depth, their languages, their social and
institutional structures to better understand the dynamics that cross them?- How to take into account individual behaviour towards risks and social attitudes towards progress,
research and science- How to promote and support the adaptation of the entire population to the transformations of
society? ...
THENEEDFORINTERDISCIPLINARYAPPROACHESINSCIENCES
Addresscomplexissues/problems/challenges
• Thevirtuesof"embodied"interdisciplinarity,ofthe« NAIVELOOK »,oftheabsenceofINHIBITION tocrossdisciplinaryboundaries• TheexampleofCharlesDARWIN• TheexampleofAlfredWEGENER
• ThevirtuesofCOVERINGS,CONTACTS,TRANSFERS• Theexampleofthe« biologicalrevolution »inthefifties
• ThevirtuesofNOTIONSmigration• TheexampleofShannon’sinformationtheory
• ThevirtuesofCOGNITIVESHEMESmigration• Theexampleofthestudyofcosmos,self-governingmachines,artificial intelligence
• ThevirtuesofOBJECTSmigration• Theexampleofprehistoryandstudyofhominization
• ThevirtuesofCONCEPTSmigration• Theexampleoftheconceptofecosystem
THEVIRTUESOFINTERDISCIPLINARYAPPROACHESINSCIENCES
MONO&MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARITY INRESEARCH:Twocomplementaryapproaches
Inter- &Transdisciplinary openings(circulationofideas)
Divergent/Exploratorythinking
Compartmentation ofknowledgeinspecializeddisciplines
Integrative/ConvergentthinkingTHEKEYTOLIFEISBALANCE
INTERDISCIPLINARITY: BETWEENINJUNCTIONandOBSTACLES
• Funding mechanisms most often aligned with disciplinary research
• A context of budget reduction favouring activities deemed "essential »
• significant fluctuations in support for interdisciplinary research
• Interdisciplinaryresearch"started"withsupportforpilotprojects• Problemoflongterm
• The"standard"modalitiesofpeerreviewprocessesmakeitdifficulttoevaluateprojectsthatgobeyondthedisciplinaryboundariesofexpertsorprograms
• Fundingofresearchfavouringtheindividualattheexpenseofthegroup
• Difficultiesinfunding"atrisk"research
UDA IKASTAROAK / CURSOS DE VERANO / SUMMER COURSES UPV / EHU
SOMEPREREQUISITETOCONSIDERINTHEIMPLEMENTATIONOFINTERDISCIPLINARITYUDA
IKASTAROAK CURSOSDEVERANOSUMMER COURSESUPV / EHU
Originality↔TraditionSelflessness↔Passion
Cooperation↔CompetitionClosing↔OpeningSharing↔Secret
Distinctiveness↔SenseofbelongingCommitment↔IndependenceAutonomy↔ResponsibilityDemocracy↔Autocracy
METHOD-METHOD-METHOD&SKILLS-SKILLS-SKILLSTORAISEINOVERCOMINGTENSIONSANDCONTRADICTIONS
INNOVATEINANDTHROUGHSCIENCES
THINK
DIVERSITYofpratices
DYNAMICSofsciences
LINK&INTERACTthroughinterdisciplinarity
HYBRIDATION IMMERSION
STIMULATEindividual&collectiveCREATIVITY
TRAINToDESIGN-inspiredmethods/thinking
INNOVATEinthewayofdoing
DECOMPARTMENTALIZETheworldofresearchTIME SPACE
Inter-personalfactors• Cohesionoftheteam• Diversityofthe team• Flexibility oftheteam• Regular andeffectivecommunication• Mutual respect&trust
Organizational factors• Strongincentives forcollaboration• Non-hierarchical structure• Diversityofrepresented perspectives• Climate forinformationsharing• Climate forrecognition sharing
Technologicalfactors• Strengthofinternal&external
networklinks• EffectiveIT&digital support• Datamanagement
Intra-personal factors• Collaborative workskills• Preparation forconflictmanagement• Participatory leadership style
Factors linkedtoenvironment• Proximity• Comfortableworkspaces• Collaborative workspaces• Privateworkspaces
Social&« political»factors• Policyforexchanges&collaboration
facilitation• Policy&protocols supporting
interdisciplinary collaboration
Factorsinfluencingeffectivenessofaninterdisciplinary
team
Writeageneral
agreement Assigntasks
Manageleadership
Managerisk
Managetime
Accept thechallengeofopenness
Supporteach other
Evaluatelearning
Manageexpression&emotions
Empathy &recognitionof
interdependence
Data
Concepts
Tools
Contributions
Procedures
Sharetheconceptual
modelspecifictoeachdiscipline
Agree onobjectives
Optimiseindividual&collectivework
Manageconflicts
Agreeoncompetences
Establish acommonmodel
Act onbehaviours
Installaninterdisciplinaryteamclimate
Organize theinterdisciplinary
team
Accompanimentforfocusmeeting
Planningoftheproject
Workshopswithinvestigators
Accompaniment totheconceptionof
meetings
Accompaniment tothefacilitationof
meetings ITsupport
Accompanimentforimprovement
meetings
InterdisciplinaryteamProductofresearch
Support tothedevelopmentoftheproject
Interdisciplinaryresearchproject
Adzpted fromM.APalmeretal.Current OpinioninEnvironmental Sustainability2016,19:111–122