Interdisciplinary Minds
Background
Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity are central elements of modern research cooperation. While interdisciplinarity refers to cooperation between academic disciplines, transdisciplinarity is the principle of cooperation between science and non-academic partners. Particularly in view of complex social challenges and dynamic technological developments, the collaborative development of knowledge is gaining in importance, so that the demand to bring together different forms of knowledge and perspectives is increasingly shaping scientific and political discourse. Inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation is considered particularly suitable for developing innovative and sustainable solutions - both in academia and in practical applications.
On this page:
Between aspiration and implementation: interdisciplinarity in the science system of the future
Multi-, inter- & transdisciplinarity: terms and boundaries
Challenges of interdisciplinary collaboration
Interdisciplinary competencies & fields of development
Selected resources
Literature & sources
Between aspiration and implementation: Interdisciplinarity in the science system of the future
Future forms of knowledge. In a 2019 OECD concept paper(OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030 Concept Note), interdisciplinarity is emphasized as one of the four central forms of knowledge of the future - alongside disciplinary, epistemic and procedural knowledge. From this, the OECD derives the need to develop educational strategies that address different levels - for example, by integrating interdisciplinary knowledge into curricula or by promoting project-based learning. (OECD, 2019)
Framework conditions. As early as 2016, the Global Research Council emphasized in a report on interdisciplinarity the need for specific structural framework conditions in order to develop the potential of interdisciplinary research. Among other things, suitable funding mechanisms (both bottom-up and top-down), adapted assessment and evaluation procedures as well as measures for career advancement, training and institutional recognition of interdisciplinary research are mentioned. (Global Research Council, 2016)
Germany. Current contributions - for example from the Stifterverband and the Volkswagen Foundation - make it clear that interdisciplinarity in Germany is still confronted with structural hurdles. A study on research culture commissioned by the Volkswagen Foundation notes a "less developed interdisciplinary research landscape" in Germany. Particularly critical are deficits in the institutional anchoring of interdisciplinary assessment, the lack of suitable career paths and a lack of governance structures that systematically reflect interdisciplinarity in both research and teaching. (Ploder et al., 2023)
Policy advice. The Stifterverband also emphasizes that the experiences from the pandemic have made it clear how central permanently institutionalized, interdisciplinary policy advice is in order to be able to adequately analyse and manage complex crisis situations. In an interview, Dr. Georg Schütte emphasizes that although there are numerous interdisciplinary project proposals, it often remains unclear how interdisciplinarity is actually implemented in practical research. Similar questions arise for teaching and for the organizational anchoring within an academic system that is often still strongly structured along disciplinary lines. (Meyer-Guckel, 2023; Schütte, 2023)
Interdisciplinarity is a decisive key to sustainable research and education. However, there is still often a lack of suitable structures to implement them effectively. Now is the time to create concrete approaches - in curricula, projects and institutions - that truly enable interdisciplinary work.
Multi-, inter- & transdisciplinarity: terms and boundaries
Inter- and transdisciplinary work takes place in a variety of contexts. At non-university research institutions, in university research projects, as part of cooperative teaching formats and in participative, transdisciplinary innovation processes, such as at universities of applied sciences. What these approaches have in common is the aim of tackling often complex problems with the help of different expertise and disciplines. The specific form of such collaborations varies depending on the degree of integration, the actors involved and the institutional framework conditions.
In current scientific and political discourse, a distinction is mainly made between the following different forms of cross-disciplinary collaboration - in addition to concepts such as pluri- or cross-disciplinarity:
- Multidisciplinarity refers to the parallel processing of a topic by different disciplines - with a low degree of integration.
- Interdisciplinarity goes beyond this: it strives for a systematic integration of data, methods, concepts and theories in order to address complex questions that cannot be adequately answered by individual disciplines alone
- Transdisciplinarity transcends disciplinary boundaries even further by also incorporating knowledge and perspectives from practice or from potential users of scientific findings.
Balsiger, 2005; van Noorden, 2015; Frodemann et al, 2017; Klein, 2010, 2021; Mittelstrass, 2018; Schmohl & Philipp 2021; Brandstädter, 2021; Lerch, 2022.
Challenges of interdisciplinary cooperation
These collaborative research modes are accompanied by special requirements. Studies show that they require a high degree of communicative and conceptual coordination, as different disciplinary languages, methodological approaches and basic epistemic assumptions come together. There is a great danger of remaining stuck in disciplinary routines - especially when structural conditions such as review procedures, funding logics or publication cultures make interdisciplinary work difficult.
In a position paper, the Science Council emphasizes that disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity should not be seen as opposites, but rather as complementary and productively interrelated concepts. Interdisciplinary research should not be an end in itself, but must always be pursued with a clear awareness of the problem and with a view to the associated challenges. In order to avoid the risk of merely additive, multidisciplinary collaboration, sufficient time resources, targeted spaces for reflection and a shared understanding of disciplinary differences and integration potential are required.
Epistemologies. Interdisciplinary collaboration brings together different disciplinary languages, epistemological interests and methodological approaches. This diversity often leads to methodological imprecision, even if a common epistemological basis can be identified. The tension between disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary integration calls for conscious reflection on the respective epistemological premises.
Institutional framework
At an organizational level, interdisciplinary projects are associated with an increased level of complexity in management, administration and coordination. At the same time, existing institutions and funding mechanisms, which are often structured along monodisciplinary lines, have an inhibiting effect on the implementation and sustainable establishment of interdisciplinary research projects.
Leadership
The management of interdisciplinary projects requires specific moderation, communication and mediation skills. Scientific leaders must have methodological aplomb as well as a pronounced cognitive openness in order to be able to productively integrate interdisciplinary perspectives.
Career paths and success criteria
There are also challenges at an individual level, particularly with regard to publication strategies, citation practices and the recognition of interdisciplinary achievements in the academic system. Interdisciplinary careers are often considered less predictable and more uncertain, which can have a negative impact on their institutional visibility and promotion.
Defila & Di Giulio 1996; Lyall et a., 2011; Lyall & Meagher, 2012; Nancarrow et al, 2013; Röhlig, 2018; Froese et al. 2019; Wissenschaftsrat, 2020.
Interdisciplinary skills & fields of development
Interdisciplinary collaboration requires a broad range of skills that go beyond specialist knowledge and encompass cognitive, personal, cooperative and communication skills in order to integrate diverse perspectives and develop innovative solutions together.
Specialist skills. Interdisciplinary cooperation requires a sound understanding of one's own discipline as well as the ways of thinking and working of other specialist areas. This includes knowledge of the principles of interdisciplinary cooperation, an awareness of disciplinary boundaries and the ability to critically reflect on disciplinary limitations.
Cognitive skills. Interdisciplinary research requires the ability to abstract and integrate diverse forms of knowledge. Creativity, critical thinking and the ability to reflect are necessary in order to make new connections, recognize blind spots and develop innovative solutions.
Personal skills. Interdisciplinary work means embracing uncertainty, diversity and change. Openness, flexibility, curiosity and a willingness to learn form the basis here. At the same time, it requires self-reflection and tolerance of ambiguity - in other words, the ability to deal constructively with ambiguity and contradictory perspectives.
Cooperative skills. Interdisciplinary work means embracing uncertainty, diversity and change. Openness, flexibility, curiosity and a willingness to learn form the basis here. At the same time, it requires self-reflection and tolerance of ambiguity - in other words, the ability to deal constructively with ambiguity and contradictory perspectives.
Communicative skills. The central prerequisite for successful interdisciplinary work is the ability to communicate complex content in an understandable way. This includes explaining subject-specific concepts, translating between disciplinary languages and adapting language to target groups in dialog with different stakeholders.
Lerch, 2017; Brandstädter, 2021; Claus & Wiese, 2021.
Selected resources
Platforms
Shape-ID - Shaping interdisciplinary practices in Europe. The SHAPE-ID platform was developed as part of an EU project to provide stakeholders from politics, research and education with practical assistance in making better decisions for the promotion of inter- and transdisciplinary research.
tdAcademy. The tdAcademy is a research and exchange platform that investigates transdisciplinary research, promotes skills and strengthens the community through knowledge, networking and events.
Federations, clubs, associations
Global Alliance for Inter- and Transdisciplinarity / ITD Alliance. The ITD Alliance is an international network that strengthens inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation across specialist and sector boundaries in order to develop joint responses to complex social challenges using a variety of approaches. It is characterized by its diverse and very active working groups.
Gesellschaft für transdisziplinäre und partizipative Forschung / GTPF e.V. This German professional association is the central point of contact for networking, professional exchange and professionalization in the field of transdisciplinary and participatory research and science.
Association for Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS). The AIS (founded in 1979) promotes the exchange of ideas on inter- and transdisciplinarity, supports best practices in teaching and research, develops theoretical models and practical applications, and strengthens the role of interdisciplinary approaches within and beyond the academic world.
Initiatives / working groups
Working Group on Inter- and Transdisciplinary Work in Research Teams, FORTRAMA e. V. The working group promotes collegial exchange and the sharing of experience on inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration in research teams, provides practical support for researchers and consortia and invites them to learn, discuss and try things out together.
Inter- and Transdisciplinarity Working Group, Netzwerk Wissenschaftsmanagement e. V. The aim of the working group is to bring together stakeholders from different areas and to jointly identify ways in which ITD can be effectively designed in the long term and structurally anchored in the science system.
"Interdisciplinarity in Dialogue" is an initiative of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) that focuses on the practice-oriented promotion of interdisciplinary cooperation. As part of this initiative, regular events such as panel discussions and workshops are offered in which experts from different disciplines exchange their experiences and jointly develop solutions to the challenges of interdisciplinary research.
Collections of methods / toolboxes
Toolkit collection of the "Toolkits & Methods" working group of the ITD Alliance. The ITD Alliance's toolkit inventory gathers methodological and conceptual resources for designing inter- and transdisciplinary processes and provides an overview of existing toolkits, their characterization and their benefits for research, practice and teaching.
Integration and Implementation Insights (i2Insights) blog and repository. Supports a deeper understanding of complex problems and the development of well-founded solutions in policy and practice with methods, concepts and numerous practical examples.
td-net Toolbox. The resources collected here come from experts from the international transdisciplinary community and help to systematically and comprehensibly describe different perspectives, interests and goals in the collaboration between science and practice.
TransImpact Toolbox. A collection of methods and approaches for increasing the social impact of transdisciplinary research through systematic process design along four central themes: Problem definition, participation, knowledge integration and transfer.
Interdisciplinarity in teaching. Impulses for interdisciplinary teaching, starting with conceptual and systematic approaches, clarifying common misconceptions and linking teaching and learning, supplemented by practical examples and further reading.
Literature & Sources
Scientific literature
Balsiger, P. W. (2005). Transdisciplinarity: systematic-comparative investigation of cross-disciplinary scientific practice. Munich: Fink.
Boix Mansilla V. (2017) Interdisciplinary learning: A cognitive-epistemological foundation. In: Frodeman, R., Klein, J. T., & Pacheco, R. C. dos S. (Ed.). (2017). The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity (2nd edition). Oxford University Press.
Brandstädter, S. (2021). Interdisciplinary Success - Modeling, Validation and Promotion of Interdisciplinary Competence. Dissertation, University of Heidelberg.
Claus, A. M., & Wiese, B. S. (2021). Interdisciplinary competencies: Model development and diagnostic approaches. Group. Interaction. Organization. Journal of Applied Organizational Psychology (GIO), 52(2), 279-288.
Darbellay, F. (Ed.). Elgar Encyclopedia of Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, UK.
Defila, R., Di Giulio, A. (1996): Prerequisites for interdisciplinary work and basic principles of its mediation. In: Balsiger, P. W., Defila. R. & Di Giulio, A. (eds.): Ecology and interdisciplinarity - a relationship with a future? Science research to improve interdisciplinary cooperation. Basel, Boston, Berlin: Birkhäuser (Themenhefte Schwerpunkt- programm Umwelt), pp. 125-142.
Frodeman, R., Klein, J. T., & Pacheco, R. C. dos S. (Eds.). (2017). The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity (2nd edition). Oxford University Press.
Klein, J. T. (2010). A taxonomy of interdisciplinarity. In: Frodeman, R., Klein, J. T., & Pacheco, R. C. dos S. (Ed.). (2017). The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity (2nd edition). Oxford University Press.
Klein, J. T. (2021): Beyond Interdisciplinarity. Boundary Work, Communication, and Collaboration. Oxford University Press.
Lerch, S. (2017): Interdisciplinary competencies. An introduction. Münster: Waxmann.
Lyall, C., & Meagher, L. R. (2012). A Masterclass in interdisciplinarity: Research into practice in training the next generation of interdisciplinary researchers. Futures, 44(6), 608-617.
Lyall, C., Bruce, A., Tait, J., & Meagher, L. (2011). Interdisciplinary research journeys: Practical strategies for capturing creativity. Bloomsbury Academic.
Mittelstrass, J. (2018). The Order of Knowledge: From Disciplinarity to Transdisciplinarity and Back. European Review, 26(S2).
Nancarrow, S. A., Booth, A., Ariss, S., Smith, T., Enderby, P., & Roots, A. (2013). Ten principles of good interdisciplinary team work. Human Resources for Health, 11(1), 19.
Schmohl, T., & Philipp, T. (Eds.). (2021). Handbook of transdisciplinary didactics (1st ed., vol. 1). transcript publishing house.
Van Noorden, R. (2015). Interdisciplinary research by the numbers. Nature, 525(7569), 306-307.
Policy Paper / Impulse Papers / Articles
Froese, A., Woiwode, H., & Suckow, S. (2019). Mission Impossible? New paths to interdisciplinarity. Recommendations for science, science policy and practice. Discussion Paper, Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB).
Global Research Council (2016). Interdisciplinarity Survey Report for the Global Research Council 2016 - Annual Meeting. DJSResearch.
Lerch, S. (2022): Nexus. Impulse für die Praxis, No. 18: Interdisziplinäre Kompetenzbildung - Fächerübergreifendes Denken und Handeln in der Lehre fördern, begleiten und feststellen, Hochschulrektorenkonferenz, Leipzig.
OECD (2019). OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030 - Learning Compass 2030.
Ploder, M., Walker, D., Schiffbänker, H., Streicher, J., Müller, R., Sultan, A., Bluemel, C., Knöchelmann, M., & Simon, D. (2023). Science cultures in Germany: A study commissioned by the Volkswagen Foundation. Volkswagen Foundation.
Röhlig, A. (2018): Interdisciplinary cooperation in collaborative projects: Challenges and critical factors of successful research cooperation, HWWI Research Paper, No. 181, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI), Hamburg
Schütte, G. (2023). Interdisciplinarity needs a basis. Interview, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Meyer-Guckel, V. (2023). CRISIS. WHAT CRISIS? Position paper by Volker Meyer-Guckel. Stifterverband.
German Council of Science and Humanities (2020). Science in the field of tension between disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity. Position paper. Cologne, 2020.