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Interdisciplinary Research
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Interdisciplinary Research
Process and Theory

Fifth Edition
June 2025 | SAGE Publications, Inc
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This book offers a comprehensive, systematic presentation of the interdisciplinary research process and the theory that informs it by drawing on student and professional work from a variety of fields. The book has been iterative in its development over editions, as the authors have learned from the work of instructors and students using it and have adjusted their advice in response. Notable changes in the Fifth Edition respond to feedback from the Forum devoted to this book in Issues in Interdisciplinary Studies in 2022. Examples have been updated so most are more contemporary, new content has been added on mixed methods and team research to respond to the needs of graduate students, and content has been revised throughout to address the current thinking on interdisciplinarity and integration, and strategies for achieving common ground as an interdisciplinary research team.
 
Preface
 
About the Authors
 
Part I: About Interdisciplinary Studies and Disciplines
 
Chapter 1: Introducing Interdisciplinary Studies
Defining Interdisciplinary Studies

 
The Intellectual Essence of Interdisciplinarity

 
Distinguishing Interdisciplinarity from Multidisciplinarity, Transdisciplinarity, and Integrative Studies

 
Chapter Summary

 
Exercises

 
 
Chapter 2: Introducing the Disciplines and Their Perspectives
Defining Disciplinary Perspective

 
How Knowledge Is Typically Reflected in the Organization of the Academy

 
Categories of Disciplines

 
Disciplinary Perspectives

 
Unpacking the Defining Elements of a Discipline’s Perspective

 
Chapter Summary

 
Exercises

 
 
Part II: Drawing on Disciplinary Insights
 
Chapter 3: Beginning the Research Process
The Integrated Model of the Interdisciplinary Research Process

 
Key Characteristics of Interdisciplinary Research

 
STEP 1: Define the Problem or State the Research Question

 
Creativity and STEP 1

 
STEP 2: Justify Using an Interdisciplinary Approach

 
Chapter Summary

 
Exercises

 
 
Chapter 4: Identifying Relevant Disciplines
Select Potentially Relevant Disciplines

 
Map the Problem to Reveal Its Disciplinary Parts

 
Reduce the Number of Potentially Relevant Disciplines to Those That Are Most Relevant

 
Chapter Summary

 
Exercises

 
 
Chapter 5: Conducting the Literature Search
Meaning of Literature Search

 
Reasons for Conducting the Literature Search

 
Special Challenges Confronting Interdisciplinarians

 
The Initial Literature Search

 
The Full-Scale Literature Search

 
Chapter Summary

 
Exercises

 
 
Chapter 6: Developing Adequacy in Relevant Disciplines
The Meaning of Adequacy

 
Develop Adequacy in Theories

 
Develop Adequacy in Disciplinary Methods

 
Use and Evaluate Disciplinary Methods in Basic Research

 
Provide In-Text Evidence of Disciplinary Adequacy

 
Chapter Summary

 
Exercises

 
 
Chapter 7: Analyzing the Problem and Evaluating Insights
Analyze the Problem from Each Discipline’s Perspective

 
Evaluate the Insights Produced by Each Discipline

 
Checklist for Evaluating Previous Research

 
Chapter Summary

 
Exercises

 
 
Part III: Integrating Insights
 
Chapter 8: Understanding Integration
What Interdisciplinary Integration Is

 
The Controversy Concerning Integration

 
Integration in the Broad Model

 
Questions Raised by This Discussion of Integration

 
Chapter Summary

 
Exercises

 
 
Chapter 9: Identifying Conflicts Among Insights and Their Sources
Identify Conflicting Insights

 
Locate Sources of Conflict Among Insights

 
Communicate Your Research to the Appropriate Audience

 
Chapter Summary

 
Exercises

 
 
Chapter 10: Creating Common Ground Among Insights: Concepts
About Interdisciplinary Common Ground

 
Create Common Ground

 
Chapter Summary

 
Exercises

 
 
Chapter 11: Creating Common Ground Among Insights: Causal Relationships
Causal Arguments

 
Create Common Ground Among Different Causal Explanations

 
Chapter Summary

 
Exercises

 
 
Chapter 12: Constructing a More Comprehensive Understanding
Definition of “More Comprehensive Understanding”

 
Be Creative

 
Construct the More Comprehensive Understanding from Modified Concepts

 
Construct a More Comprehensive Understanding from Causal Relationships

 
Chapter Summary

 
Exercises

 
 
Chapter 13: Reflecting on, Evaluating, and Communicating the Understanding
Reflect on the More Comprehensive Understanding

 
Evaluate the Quality of Interdisciplinary Work

 
Evaluate the More Comprehensive Understanding

 
Communicate the Results of Integration

 
Chapter Summary

 
Exercises

 
 
Conclusion: Interdisciplinarity for the New Century
 
Appendix: Interdisciplinary Resources
 
Glossary of Key Terms
 
References
 
Index

For instructors

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Paperback
ISBN: 9781071884256
£114.00

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