Description, processes involved, problems, needs, and benefits

1. अंतःविषयक शोध)
Dr. Khushboo Ashokkumar Mishra
Assistant Professor, P.G. Centre of Psychology,
Gaya College, Gaya, Bihar

2. Learning Outcomes
 Remembering and understanding:
• You will be able to understand meaning of interdisciplinary
research (what);
• its need (why);
• the process to do it (how);
• the problems involved
• its relevance in social science research.
 Applying and analyzing:
• It is also expected that you develop a radical outlook which will
help you to appreciate the beauty of an interdisciplinary research.
• You will be able to differentiate between the related concepts.
• You will be able to identify from the knowledge domain of
research as to where and how the interdisciplinary research is
being used.
 Evaluating and creating:
• It will be highly appreciated if you are able to pose one problem
which the society is currently facing and be able to provide an
interdisciplinary approach to resolve it.

3. The Blind Men and the Elephant

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What is Interdisciplinary Research?
According to Marilyn Stember (1990 ) there are different levels of transition
 Intradisciplinary: working within a single discipline.
 Multidisciplinary: people from different disciplines working together,
each drawing on their disciplinary knowledge.
 Crossdisciplinary: viewing one discipline from the perspective of another.
 Interdisciplinary: integrating knowledge and methods from different
disciplines, using a real synthesis of approaches.
 Transdisciplinary: creating a unity of intellectual frameworks beyond the
disciplinary perspectives. (Becoming boundless, Full integration)

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Science of Interaction:
Multidisciplinary: Multiple disciplines coming together but, each working
primarily with their own framings and methods.
Science of Integration:
Interdisciplinary: It involves combining two or more disciplines to
discover something within either of those two fields. It is focused on a
single subject of investigation which can be understood using knowledge
coming from different disciplines. So, there is a single question – or a
limited set of research questions – which can be comprehended by
integrating knowledge and methods from different disciplines.
Science of Hybridization:
Transdisciplinary: Creating a cross-road in which different disciplines
intersect and problematize each other through a social learning process.
Combining two or more disciplines to discover something in a different
discipline or even create a new discipline

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Need & relevance in social science research?
1. Interconnected world; Interconnected problems. We affect each other in
many ways. Therefore we need an integrated approach to solve these
problems. An interconnected world needs new forms and patterns of
intellectual inquiry that challenges existing disciplinary and institutional
boundaries.
2. Addressing real world problems: Since interdisciplinary research
involves organization of knowledge around real world problems rather
than disciplines. We need a holistic approach in this regard. This will more
likely produce outcomes which is more than the sum of different parts
3. Help greater awareness of one’s own disciplinary knowledge. Cognate
(सजाति) Interdisciplinary Research is when the integration is within
natural or physical, or social sciences. While Radical (समस्ि)
interdisciplinarity between them, spanning the natural and the social

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Process
The conceptual design:
The conceptual includes mostly activities such as thinking,
exchanging interdisciplinary knowledge, reading and
discussing.
The product of the conceptual design is called the ‘‘conceptual
frame work’’ which comprises of the research objective (what
is to be achieved by the research), the theory or theories that
are central in the research project, the research questions
(what knowledge is to be produced), and the (partial)
operationalization of constructs and concepts that will be
measured or recorded during execution.

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The technical design:
The technical design addresses the issues ‘how, where and when
will research units be studied’ (study design), ‘how will
measurement proceed’ (instrument selection or design), ‘how
and how many research units will be recruited’ (sampling
plan), and ‘how will collected data be analyzed and
synthesized’ (analysis plan).
The data analysis plan describes how data will be analysed, for
each of the separate modules and for the project at large.
Issues related to quantification of qualitative data is grave because
there are chances of many information which may ultimately be
lost.

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Integration:
To benefit optimally from the research being interdisciplinary the
modules need to be brought together in the integration stage. The
modules may be mono- or interdisciplinary and may rely on
quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods approaches (quali–quali,
quanti–quanti, and quali–quant).
Scientific quality and ethical considerations in the design of
interdisciplinary research:
It is important that team members are prepared to explain and share
ownership of the term and respect the different meanings.
Where social and medical scientists may be more sensitive to ethical
issues related to humans, others may be more sensitive to issues
related to animal welfare, ecology, legislation, the funding agency,
data and information sharing, sloppy research practices, or long term
consequences of the research.

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Benefits
1. Bigger questions can be addressed.
2. A wider audience as the result of interdisciplinary research: A
philosopher who can think like an economist is more likely to produce
work that economists want to read. An economist who can think like a
philosopher is more likely to appeal to philosophers.
3. Better Explanatory and Predictive Work
4. Better Normative Work: Without looking across the aisle at other
disciplines, ethics without economics can be empty. Economics without
ethics can be blind.
5. Inspiration to Confront Questions That May Not Otherwise Occur to You
6. Develops critical thinking
7. Methodological insights
8. Opening new areas of interest
9. Developing common approaches
10. Fresh insights into the new perspective

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Problems
1. Theoretical Background
2. Operationalization of the concepts
3. Intellectual traditions
4. Methodological approaches
5. Disciplinary ‘experts’ tend generally to regard fields other than
their own with considerable suspicion

15. Thanks!
Any Questions ?
You can contact me at: mkak52@gmail.com
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