The management of cross‐disciplinary research

Abstract

Abstract This paper is based on a critical review of the proceedings of the Second International Conference on Interdisciplinary Research held in 1981 in Manchester, England. Two sets of issues important for the management of collaborative research are identified. One is the need to remove ambiguities from the meanings of commonly used terminology, for which more precise definitions are proposed. Cross‐disciplinary is used to describe only the nature of the task; multi‐ and inter‐disciplinary are seen as describing alternative organizational ways of executing it. Which way should be used depends objectively on the circumstances. The other set of issues is concerned with the effect institutional setting could have on the possibility of carrying out effective cross‐disciplinary activity. Six different settings are identified and broad concepts of group dynamics are used to identify theoretical and practical problems and their possible solutions. The paper concludes with a survey of the practical implications for those managing cross‐disciplinary research.

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