Multidisciplinarity, Interdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinarity
Increasingly, research takes place across traditional disciplinary boundaries. This can be a collaboration between people from different subject backgrounds, or one
researcher might combine approaches based on the research question(s) they are attempting to answer.
This kind of research presents its own challenges, especially for the solo researcher. Disciplines define themselves by their epistemological foundations, so it’s easier to combine approaches with similar epistemologies. The further apart the assumptions of the disciplines, the harder it would seem to be to combine them. But there are options here.
As Choi & Pak (2006) note, the terms multi-, inter- and trans- disciplinarity are often used interchangeably, partly because they are often ambiguously defined. They propose the following schema:
- Multidisciplinary research draws on several disciplines in parallel but they remain separate from each other
- Interdisciplinary research synthesizes approaches from different disciplines into a new and coherent whole
- Transdisciplinary research integrates and transcends disciplinary boundaries, bridging humanities and sciences
Obviously the specific combination of approaches used will require some thinking about research design. So why bother? The appeal of these combinations is that they allow for new and innovative ways of approaching research questions, so much so that entirely new subject areas are created. This can often result from the application of digital technology (as in the case of digital humanities) but more often is used to address a ‘grand challenge’ from several vectors at the same time. Using a well-established research method can minimise the methodological complication of a project, but you might want to use several methods to approach a research question from several angles at once, particularly if you are seeking a
unique angle for doctoral research.
von Wehrden et al. (2019) identify five basic units that can help to guide interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research.
1. Creation of collective glossaries
2. Definition of boundary objects
3. Use of combined problem- and solution-oriented approaches
4. Inclusion of a facilitator of inter-and transdisciplinary research within the research team
5. Promotion of reflexivity by accompanying research