CHALLENGES OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

Abstract

There is no single definition that encompasses the diverse range of activities that have been described under the heading of interdisciplinary research. The history of science from the time of the earliest scholarship abounds with examples of the integration of knowledge from many research fields. In recent decades, the growth of scientific and technical knowledge has prompted scientists, engineers, social scientists, and humanists to join in addressing complex problems that must be attacked simultaneously with deep knowledge from different perspectives. On an individual basis, studies show that situational factors, such as exposure to ideas outside one’s own discipline, may have a positive impact on researchers in their own discipline. This article briefly reflects upon three issues only: (i) managing an interdisciplinary career, (ii) negotiating interdisciplinary collaborations and (iii) supervising interdisciplinary students. Interdisciplinarity is something to be learned and acquired; it does not arise out of thin air, although today the concept is frequently used as a magic word.

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