Interdisciplinary Research

Allen F. Repko, PhD, is the former director of the interdisciplinary studies program in the School of Urban and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he developed and taught the program’s core curriculum for many years. The program is one of the largest in the United States. Repko has written extensively on all aspects of interdisciplinary studies, has twice served as coeditor of the interdisciplinary journal Issues in Integrative Studies, and has served on the board of the Association for Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS). Rick Szostak, PhD, is professor and chair of economics at the University of Alberta, where he has taught for 34 years. He is the author of a dozen books and 50 articles, all of an interdisciplinary nature. Several of his publications address how to do interdisciplinary research, teach interdisciplinary courses, administer interdisciplinary programs, or organize information in order to facilitate interdisciplinarity. As an associate dean, he created the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Alberta, the Science, Technology and Society program, an individualized major, and two courses about interdisciplinarity. He has twice served as coeditor of the interdisciplinary journal Issues in Integrative Studies. He was president of the Association for Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) from 2011 to 2014. He can be contacted at rszostak@ualberta.ca.

• PrefaceAbout the AuthorsPart I: About Interdisciplinary Studies and DisciplinesChapter 1: Introducing Interdisciplinary StudiesDefining Interdisciplinary StudiesThe Intellectual Essence of InterdisciplinarityDistinguishing Interdisciplinarity from Multidisciplinarity, Transdisciplinarity, and Integrative StudiesChapter SummaryExercisesChapter 2: Introducing the Disciplines and Their PerspectivesDefining Disciplinary PerspectiveHow Knowledge Is Typically Reflected in the Organization of the AcademyCategories of DisciplinesDisciplinary PerspectivesUnpacking the Defining Elements of a Discipline’s PerspectiveChapter SummaryExercisesPart II: Drawing on Disciplinary InsightsChapter 3: Beginning the Research ProcessThe Integrated Model of the Interdisciplinary Research ProcessKey Characteristics of Interdisciplinary ResearchSTEP 1: Define the Problem or State the Research QuestionCreativity and STEP 1STEP 2: Justify Using an Interdisciplinary ApproachChapter SummaryExercisesChapter 4: Identifying Relevant DisciplinesSelect Potentially Relevant DisciplinesMap the Problem to Reveal Its Disciplinary PartsReduce the Number of Potentially Relevant Disciplines to Those That Are Most RelevantChapter SummaryExercisesChapter 5: Conducting the Literature SearchMeaning of Literature SearchReasons for Conducting the Literature SearchSpecial Challenges Confronting InterdisciplinariansThe Initial Literature SearchThe Full-Scale Literature SearchChapter SummaryExercisesChapter 6: Developing Adequacy in Relevant DisciplinesThe Meaning of AdequacyDevelop Adequacy in TheoriesDevelop Adequacy in Disciplinary MethodsUse and Evaluate Disciplinary Methods in Basic ResearchProvide In-Text Evidence of Disciplinary AdequacyChapter SummaryExercisesChapter 7: Analyzing the Problem and Evaluating InsightsAnalyze the Problem from Each Discipline’s PerspectiveEvaluate the Insights Produced by Each DisciplineChecklist for Evaluating Previous ResearchChapter SummaryExercisesPart III: Integrating InsightsChapter 8: Understanding IntegrationWhat Interdisciplinary Integration IsThe Controversy Concerning IntegrationIntegration in the Broad ModelQuestions Raised by This Discussion of IntegrationChapter SummaryExercisesChapter 9: Identifying Conflicts Among Insights and Their SourcesIdentify Conflicting InsightsLocate Sources of Conflict Among InsightsCommunicate Your Research to the Appropriate AudienceChapter SummaryExercisesChapter 10: Creating Common Ground Among Insights: ConceptsAbout Interdisciplinary Common GroundCreate Common GroundChapter SummaryExercisesChapter 11: Creating Common Ground Among Insights: Causal RelationshipsCausal ArgumentsCreate Common Ground Among Different Causal ExplanationsChapter SummaryExercisesChapter 12: Constructing a More Comprehensive UnderstandingDefinition of “More Comprehensive Understanding”Be CreativeConstruct the More Comprehensive Understanding from Modified ConceptsConstruct a More Comprehensive Understanding from Causal RelationshipsChapter SummaryExercisesChapter 13: Reflecting on, Evaluating, and Communicating the UnderstandingReflect on the More Comprehensive UnderstandingEvaluate the Quality of Interdisciplinary WorkEvaluate the More Comprehensive UnderstandingCommunicate the Results of IntegrationChapter SummaryExercisesConclusion: Interdisciplinarity for the New CenturyAppendix: Interdisciplinary ResourcesGlossary of Key TermsReferencesIndex