Epistemological pluralism: reorganizing interdisciplinary research.

Treesearch

Thaddius R. Miller; Timothy D. Baird; Caitlin M. Littlefield; Gary Kofinas; E. Stuart Chapin; Charles L. Redman

2008-01-01

Despite progress in interdisciplinary research, difficulties remain. In this paper, we argue that scholars, educators, and practitioners need to critically rethink the ways in which interdisciplinary research and training are conducted. We present epistemological pluralism as an approach for conducting innovative, collaborative research and study. Epistemological...

Interdisciplinary research produces results in understanding planetary dunes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Titus, Timothy N.; Hayward, Rosalyn K.; Dinwiddie, Cynthia L.

2012-01-01

Third International Planetary Dunes Workshop: Remote Sensing and Image Analysis of Planetary Dunes; Flagstaff, Arizona, 12–16 June 2012. This workshop, the third in a biennial series, was convened as a means of bringing together terrestrial and planetary researchers from diverse backgrounds with the goal of fostering collaborative interdisciplinary research. The small-group setting facilitated intensive discussions of many problems associated with aeolian processes on Earth, Mars, Venus, Titan, Triton, and Pluto. The workshop produced a list of key scientifc questions about planetary dune felds.

Promoting Interdisciplinary Research among Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novak, Elena; Zhao, Weinan; Reiser, Robert A.

2014-01-01

With the growing recognition of the importance of interdisciplinary research, many faculty have increased their efforts to form interdisciplinary research teams. Oftentimes, attempts to put together such teams are hampered because faculty have a limited picture of the research interests and expertise of their colleagues. This paper reports on…

A scale-based approach to interdisciplinary research and expertise in sports.

PubMed

Ibáñez-Gijón, Jorge; Buekers, Martinus; Morice, Antoine; Rao, Guillaume; Mascret, Nicolas; Laurin, Jérome; Montagne, Gilles

2017-02-01

After more than 20 years since the introduction of ecological and dynamical approaches in sports research, their promising opportunity for interdisciplinary research has not been fulfilled yet. The complexity of the research process and the theoretical and empirical difficulties associated with an integrated ecological-dynamical approach have been the major factors hindering the generalisation of interdisciplinary projects in sports sciences. To facilitate this generalisation, we integrate the major concepts from the ecological and dynamical approaches to study behaviour as a multi-scale process. Our integration gravitates around the distinction between functional (ecological) and execution (organic) scales, and their reciprocal intra- and inter-scale constraints. We propose an (epistemological) scale-based definition of constraints that accounts for the concept of synergies as emergent coordinative structures. To illustrate how we can operationalise the notion of multi-scale synergies we use an interdisciplinary model of locomotor pointing. To conclude, we show the value of this approach for interdisciplinary research in sport sciences, as we discuss two examples of task-specific dimensionality reduction techniques in the context of an ongoing project that aims to unveil the determinants of expertise in basketball free throw shooting. These techniques provide relevant empirical evidence to help bootstrap the challenging modelling efforts required in sport sciences.

Facilitating Interdisciplinary Work: Using Quality Assessment to Create Common Ground

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oberg, Gunilla

2009-01-01

Newcomers often underestimate the challenges of interdisciplinary work and, as a rule, do not spend sufficient time to allow them to overcome differences and create common ground, which in turn leads to frustration, unresolved conflicts, and, in the worst case scenario, discontinued work. The key to successful collaboration is to facilitate the…

Information professionals' participation in interdisciplinary research: a preliminary study of factors affecting successful collaborations.

PubMed

Lorenzetti, Diane L; Rutherford, Gayle

2012-12-01

This pilot study explores the conditions that support or hinder information professionals' participation in interdisciplinary research teams. We undertook a preliminary grounded theory study investigating factors that impact on information professionals' participation in interdisciplinary research. Four biomedical information professionals working in academic universities and teaching hospitals in Canada participated in semi-structured interviews. Grounded theory methods guided the data collection and analysis. Participants identified the conditions that support or hinder research participation as belonging to four distinct overlapping domains: client-level factors including preconceptions and researcher resistance; individual-level factors such as research readiness; opportunities that are most often made not found; and organisational supports. Creating willingness, building preparedness and capitalising on opportunity appear crucial to successful participation in interdisciplinary research. Further exploration of the importance of educational, collegial and organisational supports may reveal additional data to support the development of a grounded theory regarding the facilitation of information professionals' engagement in interdisciplinary research. © 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group.

Interdisciplinary research has consistently lower funding success.

PubMed

Bromham, Lindell; Dinnage, Russell; Hua, Xia

2016-06-30

Interdisciplinary research is widely considered a hothouse for innovation, and the only plausible approach to complex problems such as climate change. One barrier to interdisciplinary research is the widespread perception that interdisciplinary projects are less likely to be funded than those with a narrower focus. However, this commonly held belief has been difficult to evaluate objectively, partly because of lack of a comparable, quantitative measure of degree of interdisciplinarity that can be applied to funding application data. Here we compare the degree to which research proposals span disparate fields by using a biodiversity metric that captures the relative representation of different fields (balance) and their degree of difference (disparity). The Australian Research Council's Discovery Programme provides an ideal test case, because a single annual nationwide competitive grants scheme covers fundamental research in all disciplines, including arts, humanities and sciences. Using data on all 18,476 proposals submitted to the scheme over 5 consecutive years, including successful and unsuccessful applications, we show that the greater the degree of interdisciplinarity, the lower the probability of being funded. The negative impact of interdisciplinarity is significant even when number of collaborators, primary research field and type of institution are taken into account. This is the first broad-scale quantitative assessment of success rates of interdisciplinary research proposals. The interdisciplinary distance metric allows efficient evaluation of trends in research funding, and could be used to identify proposals that require assessment strategies appropriate to interdisciplinary research.

Toward a roadmap for interdisciplinary academic career success.

PubMed

McBride, Angela Barron

2010-01-01

The 21st century is a period of increased focus on interdisciplinary collaboration. To facilitate movement in the direction of interdisciplinary research, this article discusses some generic stumbling blocks, unique problems, and advantages that nurses experience, plus the rewards and hallmarks of well-functioning interdisciplinary research teams. The article ends with an overview of how interdisciplinary development can and should be part of each stage of academic career success.

Outside the Lines: Issues in Interdisciplinary Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glasberg, Ronald

1997-01-01

Reviews book that explores the nature and potential of interdisciplinary research. Presents not only a history of both disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity but also a review of the major problems confronting interdisciplinary research and some possible solutions. (VWC)

UZIG USGS research: Advances through interdisciplinary interaction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nimmo, J.R.; Andraski, Brian J.; Rafael, M.-C.

2009-01-01

BBecause vadose zone research relates to diverse disciplines, applications, and modes of research, collaboration across traditional operational and topical divisions is especially likely to yield major advances in understanding. The Unsaturated Zone Interest Group (UZIG) is an informal organization sponsored by the USGS to encourage and support interdisciplinary collaboration in vadose or unsaturated zone hydrologic research across organizational boundaries. It includes both USGS and non-USGS scientists. Formed in 1987, the UZIG operates to promote communication, especially through periodic meetings with presentations, discussions, and field trips. The 10th meeting of the UZIG at Los Alamos, NM, in August 2007 was jointly sponsored by the USGS and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Presentations at this meeting served as the initial basis for selecting papers for this special section of Vadose Zone Journal, the purpose of which is to present noteworthy cutting-edge unsaturated zone research promoted by, facilitated by, or presented in connection with the UZIG.

Evaluating an interdisciplinary undergraduate training program in health promotion research.

PubMed

Misra, Shalini; Harvey, Richard H; Stokols, Daniel; Pine, Kathleen H; Fuqua, Juliana; Shokair, Said M; Whiteley, John M

2009-04-01

The University of California at Irvine Interdisciplinary Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (ID-SURE) program had three objectives: (1) designing an interdisciplinary health promotion training curriculum for undergraduate research fellows; (2) developing measures for evaluating and assessing program-related educational processes and products; and (3) comparing these educational process and product measures between groups of students who did or did not receive the training. A total of 101 students participated in the ID-SURE program during 2005, 2006, and 2007. A longitudinal research design was employed whereby students' interdisciplinary attitudes and behaviors were assessed at the beginning and end of the training program. The interdisciplinary and intellectual qualities of students' academic and research products were assessed at the conclusion of the training activities. In addition, ID-SURE participants' interdisciplinary attitudes, behaviors, and research products were compared to those of 70 participants in another fellowship program that did not have an interdisciplinary training component. Exposing undergraduate research fellows to the interdisciplinary curriculum led to increased participation in, and positive attitudes about, interdisciplinary classroom and laboratory activities. Products, such as the integrative and interdisciplinary quality of student research projects, showed no differences when compared to those of undergraduates who were not exposed to the interdisciplinary curriculum. However, undergraduates exposed to the training engaged in more interdisciplinary behaviors at the end of the program than students who were not trained in interdisciplinary research techniques. The findings from this study offer evidence for the efficacy of the ID-SURE program for training undergraduate students in transdisciplinary concepts, methods, and skills that are needed for effective scientific collaboration. Additionally, this study makes two important

Interdisciplinary Doctoral Research Supervision: A Scoping Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanstone, Meredith; Hibbert, Kathy; Kinsella, Elizabeth Anne; McKenzie, Pam; Pitman, Allan; Lingard, Lorelei

2013-01-01

This scoping literature review examines the topic of interdisciplinary doctoral research supervision. Interdisciplinary doctoral research programs are expanding in response to encouragement from funding agencies and enthusiasm from faculty and students. In an acknowledgement that the search for creative and innovative solutions to complex problems…

Expanding the Reach of Physics-Engaging Students in Interdisciplinary Research Involving complex, real-world situation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bililign, Solomon

2014-03-01

Physics plays a very important role in most interdisciplinary efforts and can provide a solid foundation for students. Retention of students in STEM areas can be facilitated by enhanced interdisciplinary education and research since students are strongly attracted to research with societal relevance and show increasing enthusiasm about problems that have practical consequences. One such area of research is a collaborative Earth System Science. The Earth System is dynamic and complex. It is comprised of diverse components that interact. By providing students the opportunities to work in interdisciplinary groups on a problem that reflects a complex, real-world situation they can see the linkages between components of the Earth system that encompass climate and all its components (weather precipitation, temperature, etc.) and technology development and deployment of sensors and sensor networks and social impacts. By involving students in the creation of their own personalized professional development plan, students are more focused and engaged and are more likely to remain in the program.

Perspectives of clinician and biomedical scientists on interdisciplinary health research.

PubMed

Laberge, Suzanne; Albert, Mathieu; Hodges, Brian D

2009-11-24

Interdisciplinary health research is a priority of many funding agencies. We surveyed clinician and biomedical scientists about their views on the value and funding of interdisciplinary health research. We conducted semistructured interviews with 31 biomedical and 30 clinician scientists. The scientists were selected from the 2000-2006 membership lists of peer-review committees of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. We investigated respondents' perspectives on the assumption that collaboration across disciplines adds value to health research. We also investigated their perspectives on funding agencies' growing support of interdisciplinary research. The 61 respondents expressed a wide variety of perspectives on the value of interdisciplinary health research, ranging from full agreement (22) to complete disagreement (11) that it adds value; many presented qualified viewpoints (28). More than one-quarter viewed funding agencies' growing support of interdisciplinary research as appropriate. Most (44) felt that the level of support was unwarranted. Arguments included the belief that current support leads to the creation of artificial teams and that a top-down process of imposing interdisciplinary structures on teams constrains scientists' freedom. On both issues we found contrasting trends between the clinician and the biomedical scientists. Despite having some positive views about the value of interdisciplinary research, scientists, especially biomedical scientists, expressed reservations about the growing support of interdisciplinary research.

Best Practice to Order Authors in Multi/Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Research Publications.

PubMed

Smith, Elise; Master, Zubin

2017-01-01

Misunderstanding and disputes about authorship are commonplace among members of multi/interdisciplinary health research teams. If left unmanaged and unresolved, these conflicts can undermine knowledge sharing and collaboration, obscure accountability for research, and contribute to the incorrect attribution of credit. To mitigate these issues, certain researchers suggest quantitative authorship distributions schemes (e.g., point systems), while others wish to replace or minimize the importance of authorship by using "contributorship"-a system based on authors' self-reporting contributions. While both methods have advantages, we argue that authorship and contributorship will most likely continue to coexist for multiple ethical and practical reasons. In this article, we develop a five-step "best practice" that incorporates the distribution of both contributorship and authorship for multi/interdisciplinary research. This procedure involves continuous dialogue and the use of a detailed contributorship taxonomy ending with a declaration explaining contributorship, which is used to justify authorship order. Institutions can introduce this approach in responsible conduct of research training as it promotes greater fairness, trust, and collegiality among team members and ultimately reduces confusion and facilitates resolution of time-consuming disagreements.

Interdisciplinary Education and Research in Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Villa-Soto, Juan Carlos

2016-01-01

In this article we discuss interdisciplinary teaching and research in Latin America through the lens of Mexican perspectives, in particular the experiences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The history of these experiences goes back to the creation of the frst interdisciplinary education programs in Mexico in the 1970s and…

Mentorship in the context of interdisciplinary geriatric research: lessons learned from the RAND/Hartford Program for Building Interdisciplinary Geriatric Research Centers.

PubMed

Keyser, Donna J; Abedin, Zainab; Schultz, Dana J; Pincus, Harold Alan

2012-08-01

In light of the growing trend toward formalized research mentorship for effectively transmitting the values, standards, and practices of science from one generation of researchers to the next, this article provides the results of an exploratory study. It reports on research mentorship in the context of interdisciplinary geriatric research based on experiences with the RAND/Hartford Program for Building Interdisciplinary Geriatric Research Centers. At the end of the 2-year funding period, staff from the RAND Coordinating Center conducted 60- to 90-minute open-ended telephone interviews with the co-directors of the seven centers. Questions focused on interdisciplinary mentorship activities, barriers to implementing these activities, and strategies for overcoming them, as well as a self-assessment tool with regard to programs, policies, and structures across five domains, developed to encourage research mentorship. In addition, the mentees at the centers were surveyed to assess their experiences with interdisciplinary mentoring and the center. According to the interviewees, some barriers to successful interdisciplinary mentoring included the mentor's lack of time, structural support, and the lack of a clear definition of interdisciplinary research. Most centers had formal policies in place for mentor identification and limited policies on mentor incentives. Mentees uniformly reported their relationships with their mentors as positive. More than 50% of mentees reported having a primary mentor from within their discipline and had more contact with their primary mentor than their secondary mentors. Further research is needed to understand the complexity of institutional levers that emerging programs might employ to encourage and support research mentorship. © 2012, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2012, The American Geriatrics Society.

Barriers and Solutions to Conducting Large International, Interdisciplinary Research Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pischke, Erin C.; Knowlton, Jessie L.; Phifer, Colin C.; Gutierrez Lopez, Jose; Propato, Tamara S.; Eastmond, Amarella; de Souza, Tatiana Martins; Kuhlberg, Mark; Picasso Risso, Valentin; Veron, Santiago R.; Garcia, Carlos; Chiappe, Marta; Halvorsen, Kathleen E.

2017-12-01

Global environmental problems such as climate change are not bounded by national borders or scientific disciplines, and therefore require international, interdisciplinary teamwork to develop understandings of their causes and solutions. Interdisciplinary scientific work is difficult enough, but these challenges are often magnified when teams also work across national boundaries. The literature on the challenges of interdisciplinary research is extensive. However, research on international, interdisciplinary teams is nearly non-existent. Our objective is to fill this gap by reporting on results from a study of a large interdisciplinary, international National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education (NSF-PIRE) research project across the Americas. We administered a structured questionnaire to team members about challenges they faced while working together across disciplines and outside of their home countries in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. Analysis of the responses indicated five major types of barriers to conducting interdisciplinary, international research: integration, language, fieldwork logistics, personnel and relationships, and time commitment. We discuss the causes and recommended solutions to the most common barriers. Our findings can help other interdisciplinary, international research teams anticipate challenges, and develop effective solutions to minimize the negative impacts of these barriers to their research.

Barriers and Solutions to Conducting Large International, Interdisciplinary Research Projects.

PubMed

Pischke, Erin C; Knowlton, Jessie L; Phifer, Colin C; Gutierrez Lopez, Jose; Propato, Tamara S; Eastmond, Amarella; de Souza, Tatiana Martins; Kuhlberg, Mark; Picasso Risso, Valentin; Veron, Santiago R; Garcia, Carlos; Chiappe, Marta; Halvorsen, Kathleen E

2017-12-01

Global environmental problems such as climate change are not bounded by national borders or scientific disciplines, and therefore require international, interdisciplinary teamwork to develop understandings of their causes and solutions. Interdisciplinary scientific work is difficult enough, but these challenges are often magnified when teams also work across national boundaries. The literature on the challenges of interdisciplinary research is extensive. However, research on international, interdisciplinary teams is nearly non-existent. Our objective is to fill this gap by reporting on results from a study of a large interdisciplinary, international National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education (NSF-PIRE) research project across the Americas. We administered a structured questionnaire to team members about challenges they faced while working together across disciplines and outside of their home countries in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. Analysis of the responses indicated five major types of barriers to conducting interdisciplinary, international research: integration, language, fieldwork logistics, personnel and relationships, and time commitment. We discuss the causes and recommended solutions to the most common barriers. Our findings can help other interdisciplinary, international research teams anticipate challenges, and develop effective solutions to minimize the negative impacts of these barriers to their research.

Forging Alliances in Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Research (FAIRR): A Logic Model.

PubMed

Gill, Simone V; Khetani, Mary A; Yinusa-Nyahkoon, Leanne; McManus, Beth; Gardiner, Paula M; Tickle-Degnen, Linda

2017-07-01

In a patient-centered care era, rehabilitation can benefit from researcher-clinician collaboration to effectively and efficiently produce the interdisciplinary science that is needed to improve patient-centered outcomes. The authors propose the use of the Forging Alliances in Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Research (FAIRR) logic model to provide guidance to rehabilitation scientists and clinicians who are committed to growing their involvement in interdisciplinary rehabilitation research. We describe the importance and key characteristics of the FAIRR model for conducting interdisciplinary rehabilitation research.

Integrating Interdisciplinary Research-Based Experiences in Biotechnology Laboratories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iyer, Rupa S.; Wales, Melinda E.

2012-01-01

The increasingly interdisciplinary nature of today's scientific research is leading to the transformation of undergraduate education. In addressing these needs, the University of Houston's College of Technology has developed a new interdisciplinary research-based biotechnology laboratory curriculum. Using the pesticide degrading bacterium,…

Building Interdisciplinary Research Models Through Interactive Education.

PubMed

Hessels, Amanda J; Robinson, Brian; O'Rourke, Michael; Begg, Melissa D; Larson, Elaine L

2015-12-01

Critical interdisciplinary research skills include effective communication with diverse disciplines and cultivating collaborative relationships. Acquiring these skills during graduate education may foster future interdisciplinary research quality and productivity. The project aim was to develop and evaluate an interactive Toolbox workshop approach within an interprofessional graduate level course to enhance student learning and skill in interdisciplinary research. We sought to examine the student experience of integrating the Toolbox workshop in modular format over the duration of a 14-week course. The Toolbox Health Sciences Instrument includes six modules that were introduced in a 110-minute dialogue session during the first class and then integrated into the course in a series of six individual workshops in three phases over the course of the semester. Seventeen students participated; the majority were nursing students. Three measures were used to assess project outcomes: pre-post intervention Toolbox survey, competency self-assessment, and a postcourse survey. All measures indicated the objectives were met by a change in survey responses, improved competencies, and favorable experience of the Toolbox modular intervention. Our experience indicates that incorporating this Toolbox modular approach into research curricula can enhance individual level scientific capacity, future interdisciplinary research project success, and ultimately impact on practice and policy. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Interdisciplinary Research and Information Overload.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Patrick

1996-01-01

Discusses information overload and examines several ways in which actual and potential overload affects research choices for the solo researcher in interdisciplinary areas. Topics include information overload and teamwork; entry barriers to certain specialties, including necessary background knowledge; and information utilization and knowledge…

Exploring indicators of interdisciplinary research and education success

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, Gemma; Blanch, Anicet; Blaschke, Alfred Paul; Brouwer, Roy; Bucher, Christian; Farnleitner, Andreas; Fürnkranz-Prskawetz, Alexia; Loucks, Daniel Pete; Morgenroth, Eberhard; Parajka, Juraj; Pfeifer, Norbert; Rechberger, Helmut; Wagner, Wolfgang; Zessner, Matthias; Blöschl, Günter

2017-04-01

Interdisciplinary research and education programmes aim to produce groundbreaking research, often on socially relevant topics, and to produce experts with the skills to work across disciplines. However, there are many outstanding questions on the effectiveness of interdisciplinary programmes. Such as whether they produce novel and groundbreaking research, whether interdisciplinary graduates are leading to a more interdisciplinary culture of research and practice in academia and beyond, and whether an interdisciplinary approach can more effectively address issues of societal relevance than a mono-disciplinary approach. The Vienna Doctoral Programme on Water Resource Systems at Vienna University of Technology is currently in its eighth year and offers a valuable case study to contribute to understanding interdisciplinary research and education. Ten different research fields are covered by the Programme and because collaborative research takes place both between researchers from different research fields (cross-disciplinary research) and from researchers from the same research field (mono-disciplinary research) we are able to compare the impacts of each research type. We specifically explored three questions: i) whether cross-disciplinary research leads to more innovative scientific findings than mono-disciplinary research, ii) whether cross-disciplinary researchers develop professional skills that benefit their future careers, and iii) whether cross-disciplinary research produces findings of greater societal relevance than mono-disciplinary research. To conduct the evaluation we identified a variety of indicators. Journal impact factors (IF) and citation rates of ISI indexed publications were used to compare scientific innovativeness. Based on these indicators, our findings suggest that cross-disciplinary work is more innovative. The cross-disciplinary work is published in journals with a slightly higher impact factor (mean IF is 2.36) and receives slightly more

Interdisciplinary research in climate and energy sciences

DOE PAGES

Xu, Xiaofeng; Goswami, Santonu; Gulledge, Jay; ...

2015-09-12

Due to the complex nature of climate change, interdisciplinary research approaches involving knowledge and skills from a broad range of disciplines have been adopted for studying changes in the climate system as well as strategies for mitigating climate change (i.e., greenhouse gas emissions reductions) and adapting to its impacts on society and natural systems. Harnessing of renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuels is widely regarded as a long-term mitigation strategy that requires the synthesis of knowledge from engineering, technology, and natural and social sciences. In this study, we examine how the adoption of interdisciplinary approaches has evolved over timemore » and in different geographic regions. We conducted a comprehensive literature survey using an evaluation matrix of keywords, in combination with a word cloud analysis, to evaluate the spatiotemporal dynamics of scholarly discourse about interdisciplinary approaches to climate change and renewable energy research and development (R&D). Publications that discuss interdisciplinary approaches to climate change and renewable energy have substantially increased over the last 60 years; it appears, however, that the nature, timing, and focus of these publications vary across countries and through time. Over the most recent three decades, the country-level contribution to interdisciplinary research for climate change has become more evenly distributed, but this was not true for renewable energy research, which remained dominated by the United Sates and a few other major economies. The research topics have also evolved: Water resource management was emphasized from 1990s to 2000s, policy and adaptation were emphasized from the 2000s to 2010 – 2013, while vulnerability became prominent during the most recent years (2010 – 2013). Lastly, our analysis indicates that the rate of growth of interdisciplinary research for renewable energy lags behind that for climate change, possibly because knowledge

Best practices and pearls in interdisciplinary mentoring from Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health Directors.

PubMed

Guise, Jeanne-Marie; Nagel, Joan D; Regensteiner, Judith G

2012-11-01

Increasingly, national programs and leaders are looking at interdisciplinary collaborations as essential to future research. Twelve years ago, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) developed and implemented the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) K12 program to focus on interdisciplinary mentored career development for junior faculty in women's health research. We applied a mixed-methods approach using an electronic survey and in-person presentations and discussions to understand best practices and lessons learned for interdisciplinary mentoring across BIRCWH K12 program leaders. We received responses from all 29 active BIRCWH programs. Factors associated with success included ensuring sufficient protected time for regular (weekly or biweekly) mentoring; mentors promoting the research independence of the Scholar; a team mentoring approach, including career as well as content mentors; and explicit and clear expectations outlined between the Scholar and mentor. The majority of programs conduct formal evaluations of mentorship, and 79% of programs offer training in mentorship for either Scholars, mentors, or both. This article presents program leaders' best practices, challenges, and lessons learned from mentoring junior faculty who are conducting women's health research, whether basic, clinical, behavioral, translational, or health services research, using an interdisciplinary mentoring approach.

Best Practices and Pearls in Interdisciplinary Mentoring from Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health Directors

PubMed Central

Nagel, Joan D.; Regensteiner, Judith G.

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Increasingly, national programs and leaders are looking at interdisciplinary collaborations as essential to future research. Twelve years ago, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) developed and implemented the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) K12 program to focus on interdisciplinary mentored career development for junior faculty in women's health research. Methods We applied a mixed-methods approach using an electronic survey and in-person presentations and discussions to understand best practices and lessons learned for interdisciplinary mentoring across BIRCWH K12 program leaders. Results and Conclusions We received responses from all 29 active BIRCWH programs. Factors associated with success included ensuring sufficient protected time for regular (weekly or biweekly) mentoring; mentors promoting the research independence of the Scholar; a team mentoring approach, including career as well as content mentors; and explicit and clear expectations outlined between the Scholar and mentor. The majority of programs conduct formal evaluations of mentorship, and 79% of programs offer training in mentorship for either Scholars, mentors, or both. This article presents program leaders' best practices, challenges, and lessons learned from mentoring junior faculty who are conducting women's health research, whether basic, clinical, behavioral, translational, or health services research, using an interdisciplinary mentoring approach. PMID:22994986

Assessing the facilitators and barriers of interdisciplinary team working in primary care using normalisation process theory: An integrative review.

PubMed

O'Reilly, Pauline; Lee, Siew Hwa; O'Sullivan, Madeleine; Cullen, Walter; Kennedy, Catriona; MacFarlane, Anne

2017-01-01

Interdisciplinary team working is of paramount importance in the reform of primary care in order to provide cost-effective and comprehensive care. However, international research shows that it is not routine practice in many healthcare jurisdictions. It is imperative to understand levers and barriers to the implementation process. This review examines interdisciplinary team working in practice, in primary care, from the perspective of service providers and analyses 1 barriers and facilitators to implementation of interdisciplinary teams in primary care and 2 the main research gaps. An integrative review following the PRISMA guidelines was conducted. Following a search of 10 international databases, 8,827 titles were screened for relevance and 49 met the criteria. Quality of evidence was appraised using predetermined criteria. Data were analysed following the principles of framework analysis using Normalisation Process Theory (NPT), which has four constructs: sense making, enrolment, enactment, and appraisal. The literature is dominated by a focus on interdisciplinary working between physicians and nurses. There is a dearth of evidence about all NPT constructs apart from enactment. Physicians play a key role in encouraging the enrolment of others in primary care team working and in enabling effective divisions of labour in the team. The experience of interdisciplinary working emerged as a lever for its implementation, particularly where communication and respect were strong between professionals. A key lever for interdisciplinary team working in primary care is to get professionals working together and to learn from each other in practice. However, the evidence base is limited as it does not reflect the experiences of all primary care professionals and it is primarily about the enactment of team working. We need to know much more about the experiences of the full network of primary care professionals regarding all aspects of implementation work. International

Engaging Undergraduates through Interdisciplinary Research in Nanotechnology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goonewardene, Anura U.; Offutt, Christine; Whitling, Jacqueline; Woodhouse, Donald

2012-01-01

To recruit and retain more students in all science disciplines at our small (5,000 student) public university, we implemented an interdisciplinary strategy focusing on nanotechnology and enhanced undergraduate research. Inherently interdisciplinary, the novelty of nanotechnology and its growing career potential appeal to students. To engage…

[Benchmarks for interdisciplinary health and social sciences research: contributions of a research seminar].

PubMed

Kivits, Joëlle; Fournier, Cécile; Mino, Jean-Christophe; Frattini, Marie-Odile; Winance, Myriam; Lefève, Céline; Robelet, Magali

2013-01-01

This article proposes a reflection on an interdisciplinary seminar, initiated by philosophy and sociology researchers and public health professionals. The objective of this seminar was to explore the mechanisms involved in setting up and conducting interdisciplinary research, by investigating the practical modalities of articulating health and human and social sciences research in order to more clearly understand the conditions, tensions and contributions of collaborative research. These questions were discussed on the basis of detailed analysis of four recent or current research projects. Case studies identified four typical epistemological or methodological issues faced by researchers in the fields of health and human and social sciences: institutional conditions and their effects on research; deconstruction of the object; the researcher's commitment in his/her field; the articulation of research methods. Three prerequisites for interdisciplinary research in social and human sciences and in health were identified: mutual questioning of research positions and fields of study; awareness of the tensions related to institutional positions and disciplinary affiliation; joint elaboration and exchanges between various types of knowledge to ensure an interdisciplinary approach throughout all of the research process.

Interdisciplinary research training in substance abuse and addictions.

PubMed

Thompson, Elaine Adams

2013-01-01

Considerable evidence shows that the management of complex problems of and related to substance abuse and addictions require comprehensive approaches based on solid research. Nonetheless, timely and widespread dissemination of research findings remains uncommon, hindering nursing practice, impeding the health of individuals and families, and imposing untoward costs for society. Shifts in science paradigms underscore the need for efficient and effective interdisciplinary research teams to carry out innovative research within a translational science framework. This means that early career investigators will need the knowledge and skills to conduct research as part of an interdisciplinary team and to contribute systematically to translational research in the area of substance abuse and addictions. This brief report describes a nursing research training program sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse that evolved into an interdisciplinary program administrated within a school of nursing. Factors conducive to program development are described, along with the structure and elements of the program and examples of the scholars' projects and accomplishments. The common benefits of interdisciplinary research training for both predoctoral and postdoctoral research scholars include consistent exposure to new and alternative scientific models and methodological approaches as well as endurance of cross-discipline network connections. Benefits and challenges of this program carry implications for the design of future nursing research training programs in the field of substance abuse and addictions.

Interdisciplinary Research and Disciplinary Toleration: A Reply to Kitty Locker.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kent, Thomas

1994-01-01

Responds to an article in this issue regarding the challenge of interdisciplinary research. Suggests that the primary motivation for avoiding interdisciplinary research is political, not epistemological. (SR)

Perspectives on the formation of an interdisciplinary research team.

PubMed

Dodson, M V; Guan, L L; Fernyhough, M E; Mir, P S; Bucci, L; McFarland, D C; Novakofski, J; Reecy, J M; Ajuwon, K M; Thompson, D P; Hausman, G J; Benson, M; Bergen, W G; Jiang, Z

2010-01-08

As research funding becomes more competitive, it will be imperative for researchers to break the mentality of a single laboratory/single research focus and develop an interdisciplinary research team aimed at addressing real world challenges. Members of this team may be at the same institution, may be found regionally, or may be international. However, all must share the same passion for a topic that is bigger than any individual's research focus. Moreover, special consideration should be given to the professional development issues of junior faculty participating in interdisciplinary research teams. While participation may be "humbling" at times, the sheer volume of research progress that may be achieved through interdisciplinary collaboration, even in light of a short supply of grant dollars, is remarkable. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Early-Career Professional Development Training for Stakeholder-Relevant, Interdisciplinary Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosendahl, D. H.; Bamzai, A.; Mcpherson, R. A.

2015-12-01

There are many challenges to conducting inter- or multi-disciplinary research because basic research, applied research, management processes, disciplines, and even sub-disciplines have been "siloed" for so long that many research and management professionals find it difficult to communicate common interests and research needs. It is clear that the next generation of researchers must overcome these disciplinary biases and engage in more open dialogue with other disciplines and the management community in order to be better positioned to collaborate, speak a common language, and understand each other's needs. The U.S. Department of the Interior's South Central Climate Science Center recently conducted a professional development workshop for 28 early-career researchers involved in climate-related research across the South-Central U.S. The participants consisted of graduate students, postdocs, and junior faculty representing 17 different natural and social science disciplines and seven Universities/Institutions. The workshop provided the participants with guidance and instruction on how to overcome the identified challenges in conducting "actionable" research and how to better navigate multi-institutional and multi- or inter-disciplinary research. The workshop was comprised of: (1) a series of instructional presentations organized into themed sessions; (2) two keynote addresses to provide a broader perspective; (3) a real-world case study activity; (4) individual and group projects/presentations; and (5) field trips. In addition, we purposely created informal opportunities for participants to network, which met the goal of facilitating interdisciplinary interactions. An overview of the workshop experience will be provided, including a focus on those aspects leading to its ultimate success and recommendations for how to develop and implement a similar early-career workshop for your own purposes.

The Challenges and Benefits of Employing a Mobile Research Fellow to Facilitate Team Work on a Large, Interdisciplinary, Multi-Sited Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sugden, Fraser; Punch, Samantha

2014-01-01

Over the last few years research funding has increasingly moved in favour of large, multi-partner, interdisciplinary and multi-site research projects. This article explores the benefits and challenges of employing a full-time research fellow to work across multiple field sites, with all the local research teams, on an international,…

Assessing the facilitators and barriers of interdisciplinary team working in primary care using normalisation process theory: An integrative review

PubMed Central

O’Reilly, Pauline; Lee, Siew Hwa; O’Sullivan, Madeleine; Cullen, Walter; Kennedy, Catriona; MacFarlane, Anne

2017-01-01

Background Interdisciplinary team working is of paramount importance in the reform of primary care in order to provide cost-effective and comprehensive care. However, international research shows that it is not routine practice in many healthcare jurisdictions. It is imperative to understand levers and barriers to the implementation process. This review examines interdisciplinary team working in practice, in primary care, from the perspective of service providers and analyses 1 barriers and facilitators to implementation of interdisciplinary teams in primary care and 2 the main research gaps. Methods and findings An integrative review following the PRISMA guidelines was conducted. Following a search of 10 international databases, 8,827 titles were screened for relevance and 49 met the criteria. Quality of evidence was appraised using predetermined criteria. Data were analysed following the principles of framework analysis using Normalisation Process Theory (NPT), which has four constructs: sense making, enrolment, enactment, and appraisal. The literature is dominated by a focus on interdisciplinary working between physicians and nurses. There is a dearth of evidence about all NPT constructs apart from enactment. Physicians play a key role in encouraging the enrolment of others in primary care team working and in enabling effective divisions of labour in the team. The experience of interdisciplinary working emerged as a lever for its implementation, particularly where communication and respect were strong between professionals. Conclusion A key lever for interdisciplinary team working in primary care is to get professionals working together and to learn from each other in practice. However, the evidence base is limited as it does not reflect the experiences of all primary care professionals and it is primarily about the enactment of team working. We need to know much more about the experiences of the full network of primary care professionals regarding all aspects

Interdisciplinary Research Boosted by Serendipity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darbellay, Frédéric; Moody, Zoe; Sedooka, Ayuko; Steffen, Gabriela

2014-01-01

Interdisciplinary research can be defined as the practice of discovering new objects of knowledge beyond disciplinary borders. It often operates through the cross-fertilization and hybridization of concepts, theoretical frameworks, and methodological tools to enable the description, analysis, and understanding of the complexity of objects of study…

Using videoed workshops in interdisciplinary research with people who have disabilities.

PubMed

Timmins, Fiona; O'rourke, Pearl; Bagnasco, Annamaria; Timmins, Bernard; Ekins, Ray; Long, Siobhan; Aleo, Giuseppe; Sasso, Loredana

2017-09-19

Internationally, interdisciplinary research is advocated in healthcare. Such research receives great respect, particularly from funding bodies, which expect innovations in healthcare to emerge from a whole team rather than a single discipline. However, little guidance exists about the process and structures for such research. To explore and explain the use of videoed workshops and mixed-media artefacts to collect data, and explore the benefits and challenges for interdisciplinary healthcare research. sources Videoed workshops were used to ascertain the preferences of eight people who have disabilities concerning assistive technology. These workshops are used to demonstrate the method's benefits and related challenges for interdisciplinary healthcare research. This method of collecting data has important potential benefits for healthcare research. Future research in healthcare must not only be interdisciplinary, it should also involve a range of research designs that are adaptive and responsive to service users' needs and use innovative methods of collecting data. The use of video and photography in interdisciplinary research for healthcare technology is an exciting possibility, but it poses ethical and practical considerations. Videos and photography area a useful aid in interdisciplinary research and can be a valuable means of non-verbal data collection, especially with participants affected by disabilities, and can support research methods, such as the use of questionnaires. ©2012 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

Is pretenure interdisciplinary research a career risk?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, E. V.; Mackey, K. R. M.; Cusack, D. F.; DeSantis, L. R. G.; Hartzell-Nichols, L.; Lutz, J. A.; Melbourne-Thomas, J.; Meyer, R.; Riveros-Iregui, D. A.; Sorte, C. J. B.; Taylor, J. R.; White, S. A.

2012-08-01

Despite initiatives to promote interdisciplinary research, early-career academics continue to perceive professional risks to working at the interface between traditional disciplines. Unexpectedly, the inherent practical challenges of interdisciplinary scholarship, such as new methodologies and lexicons, are not the chief source of the perceived risk. The perception of risk is pervasive across disciplines, and it persists despite efforts to support career development for individuals with common interests [Mitchell and Weiler, 2011]. Suggestions that interdisciplinary work can go unrewarded in academia [Clark et al., 2011] foster a concern that targeting interdisciplinary questions, such as those presented by climate change, will pose problems for acquiring and succeeding in a tenure-track position. If self-preservation limits the questions posed by early-career academics, a perceived career risk is as damaging as a real one to new transdisciplinary initiatives. Thus, institutions should address the source of this perception whether real or specious.

Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research and Training: Initial Outcomes and Evolution of the Affinity Research Collaboratives Model.

PubMed

Ravid, Katya; Seta, Francesca; Center, David; Waters, Gloria; Coleman, David

2017-10-01

Team science has been recognized as critical to solving increasingly complex biomedical problems and advancing discoveries in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human disease. In 2009, the Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research (ECIBR) was established in the Department of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine as a new organizational paradigm to promote interdisciplinary team science. The ECIBR is made up of affinity research collaboratives (ARCs), consisting of investigators from different departments and disciplines who come together to study biomedical problems that are relevant to human disease and not under interdisciplinary investigation at the university. Importantly, research areas are identified by investigators according to their shared interests. ARC proposals are evaluated by a peer review process, and collaboratives are funded annually for up to three years.Initial outcomes of the first 12 ARCs show the value of this model in fostering successful biomedical collaborations that lead to publications, extramural grants, research networking, and training. The most successful ARCs have been developed into more sustainable organizational entities, including centers, research cores, translational research projects, and training programs.To further expand team science at Boston University, the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Office was established in 2015 to more fully engage the entire university, not just the medical campus, in interdisciplinary research using the ARC mechanism. This approach to promoting team science may be useful to other academic organizations seeking to expand interdisciplinary research at their institutions.

Correcting the bias against interdisciplinary research.

PubMed

Shapiro, Ehud

2014-04-01

When making decisions about funding and jobs the scientific community should recognise that most of the tools used to evaluate scientific excellence are biased in favour of established disciplines and against interdisciplinary research.

Opportunities and challenges of interdisciplinary research career development: implementation of a women's health research training program.

PubMed

Domino, Steven E; Smith, Yolanda R; Johnson, Timothy R B

2007-03-01

A key component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap for Medical Research is the development of interdisciplinary research teams. How best to teach and foster interdisciplinary research skills has not been determined. An effort at promoting interdisciplinary research was initiated by the Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) at NIH in 1999. The following year, 12 academic centers were funded to support 56 scholar positions for 2-5 years under Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH). A second cohort of 12 centers, called BIRCWH II, was funded in 2002. In this paper, we present the experience of the University of Michigan BIRCWH program, including a practical approach to dealing with the challenges and opportunities of interdisciplinary research training. Scholars are mentored not only by their primary research advisor but also by a three-person mentor team as well as by their peers. All scholars and a core of supportive faculty meet regularly to discuss interdisciplinary research career development and approaches to apply knowledge in new ways. Of the original cohort of 10 scholars at the University of Michigan, 7 have achieved independent research funding. Challenges include arranging times to meet, developing a common language and knowledge base, dealing proactively with expectations and misunderstandings, focusing on a conceptual model, and providing timely feedback.

Practical Steps for Using Interdisciplinary Educational Research to Enhance Cultural Awareness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CohenMiller, A. S.; Faucher, Carole; Hernández-Torrano, Daniel; Brown Hajdukova, Eva

2017-01-01

This article adds to the dialogue on multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, providing definitions and practical steps for using interdisciplinary educational research to enhance cultural awareness. Informed by a research study conducted by seven primary researchers situated in the U.K. and Kazakhstan, along with local partners, we…

What we're trying to solve: the back and forth of engaged interdisciplinary inquiry.

PubMed

Kane, Anne T; Perry, Donna J

2016-12-01

Interdisciplinary research assumes that teams of highly specialized scientists develop new knowledge by bridging their respective horizons. Nurse educators preparing nursing doctoral students to conduct interdisciplinary research need insight into how members of interdisciplinary research teams experience knowledge horizons in these complex contexts. Based on the work of the philosopher Bernard Lonergan, this pilot study uses Transcendental Method for Research with Human Subjects to explore interdisciplinary researchers' experiences with and attitudes toward interdisciplinary research. Results reveal the overarching conceptual category of "engaged interdisciplinary inquiry" which includes six themes: (i) valuing interdisciplinary engagement; (ii) direct engagement; (iii) interior engagement; (iv) disengagement; (v) facilitated engagement and (vi) engaged researcher development. Results also suggest engagement depends on vigorous "back and forth", or dialogue, with self and others, and demonstrate the study method is fruitful for cognitive inquiry. This pilot supports expanded study to inform preparation for and conduct of interdisciplinary research involving nurses and raises important questions about how the trend toward interdisciplinary research affects nursing science. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Interdisciplinary Science Research and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacKinnon, P. J.; Hine, D.; Barnard, R. T.

2013-01-01

Science history shows us that interdisciplinarity is a spontaneous process that is intrinsic to, and engendered by, research activity. It is an activity that is done rather than an object to be designed and constructed. We examine three vignettes from the history of science that display the interdisciplinary process at work and consider the…

Acquisition of a Raman Microscope for Interdisciplinary Research and Education

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-18

the-art Horiba LabRAM HR Evolution Raman Microscope system. The instrument has been employed in both research and education activities and greatly...Unlimited UU UU UU UU 18-11-2016 22-Dec-2014 21-Jun-2016 Final Report: Acquisition of a Raman Microscope for Interdisciplinary Research and Education The...Office P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 Raman spectroscopy, Interdisciplinary research and education , Historically Black Colleges

Introduction: the Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative.

PubMed

Naylor, Mary D; Lustig, Adam; Kelley, Heather J; Volpe, Ellen M; Melichar, Lori; Pauly, Mark V

2013-04-01

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched the Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative (INQRI) program in 2005 to generate, disseminate, and translate research to understand how nurses contribute to and can improve patient care quality. This special edition of Medical Care provides an overview of the program's strategy, goals, and impact, highlighting cross-cutting issues addressed by the initiative. INQRI's leadership and select grantees discuss the implications of a collection of studies on the following: advances in the science of nursing's contribution to quality, measurement of quality, interdisciplinary collaboration, implementation methodology, dissemination and translation of findings, and the business case for nursing. A comprehensive review of the scholarly literature published in 2004 and 2009 found that the evidence linking nursing to quality of care has grown. The second paper discusses INQRI's work on measurement of quality of care, revealing the need for additional comprehensive measures. The third paper examines INQRI's focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, finding that it can enhance methodological approaches and result in substantive changes in health delivery systems. The fourth paper presents methodological challenges faced in health care implementation, emphasizing the need for standardized terms and research designs. The fifth paper addresses INQRI's commitment to translating research into practice, illustrating dissemination strategies and lessons learned. The final paper discusses how the INQRI program has contributed to the current evidence regarding the business case for nursing. This supplement describes the accomplishments of the INQRI program, discusses current issues in research design and implementation, and places INQRI research within the larger context regarding advances in nursing science.

Interdisciplinary research training in a school of nursing

PubMed Central

Larson, Elaine L.; Cohen, Bevin; Gebbie, Kristine; Clock, Sarah; Saiman, Lisa

2011-01-01

Although interdisciplinarity has become a favored model of scholarly inquiry, the assumption that interdisciplinary work is intuitive and can be performed without training is short-sighted. This article describes the implementation of an interdisciplinary research training program within a school of nursing. We describe the key elements of the program and the challenges we encountered. From 2007-2010, eleven trainees from 6 disciplines have been accepted into the program and 7 have completed the program; the trainees have published 12 manuscripts and presented at 10 regional or national meetings. The major challenge has been to sustain and “push the envelope” toward interdisciplinary thinking among the trainees and their mentors, and to assure that they do not revert to their “safer” disciplinary silos. This training program, funded by National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), has become well-established within the school of nursing and across the entire University campus, and is recognized as a high quality research training program across disciplines, as exemplified by excellent applicants from a number of disciplines. PMID:21256360

Interdisciplinary Research: Performance and Policy Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossini, Frederick A.; Porter, Alan L.

1981-01-01

Successful interdisciplinary research performance, it is suggested, depends on such structural and process factors as leadership, team characteristics, study bounding, iteration, communication patterns, and epistemological factors. Appropriate frameworks for socially organizing the development of knowledge such as common group learning, modeling,…

Opportunities and Challenges of Interdisciplinary Research Career Development: Implementation of a Women’s Health Research Training Program

PubMed Central

DOMINO, STEVEN E.; SMITH, YOLANDA R.; JOHNSON, TIMOTHY R.B.

2007-01-01

A key component of the National Institutes of Health Roadmap for Medical Research is the development of interdisciplinary research teams. How best to teach and foster interdisciplinary research skills has not been determined. An effort at promoting interdisciplinary research was initiated by the Office of Research on Women’s Health at NIH in 1999. The following year, twelve academic centers were funded to support 56 scholar positions for two to five years under the acronym “BIRCWH: Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health.” A second cohort of twelve centers, called BIRCWH II, was funded in 2002. In this article, the authors present the experience of the University of Michigan BIRCWH program including a practical approach to dealing with the challenges and opportunities of interdisciplinary research training. Scholars are mentored not only by their primary research advisor, but by a three person mentor team as well as by their peers. All scholars and a core of supportive faculty meet regularly to discuss interdisciplinary research career development and approaches to apply knowledge in new ways. Of the original cohort of 10 scholars at the University of Michigan, 7 have achieved independent research funding. Challenges include arranging times to meet, developing a common language and knowledge base, dealing proactively with expectations and misunderstandings, focusing on a conceptual model, and providing timely feedback. PMID:17388742

Challenges and Opportunities in Interdisciplinary Materials Research Experiences for Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vohra, Yogesh; Nordlund, Thomas

2009-03-01

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) offer a broad range of interdisciplinary materials research experiences to undergraduate students with diverse backgrounds in physics, chemistry, applied mathematics, and engineering. The research projects offered cover a broad range of topics including high pressure physics, microelectronic materials, nano-materials, laser materials, bioceramics and biopolymers, cell-biomaterials interactions, planetary materials, and computer simulation of materials. The students welcome the opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team of basic science, engineering, and biomedical faculty but the challenge is in learning the key vocabulary for interdisciplinary collaborations, experimental tools, and working in an independent capacity. The career development workshops dealing with the graduate school application process and the entrepreneurial business activities were found to be most effective. The interdisciplinary university wide poster session helped student broaden their horizons in research careers. The synergy of the REU program with other concurrently running high school summer programs on UAB campus will also be discussed.

The Cancer Epidemiology Descriptive Cohort Database: A Tool to Support Population-Based Interdisciplinary Research.

PubMed

Kennedy, Amy E; Khoury, Muin J; Ioannidis, John P A; Brotzman, Michelle; Miller, Amy; Lane, Crystal; Lai, Gabriel Y; Rogers, Scott D; Harvey, Chinonye; Elena, Joanne W; Seminara, Daniela

2016-10-01

We report on the establishment of a web-based Cancer Epidemiology Descriptive Cohort Database (CEDCD). The CEDCD's goals are to enhance awareness of resources, facilitate interdisciplinary research collaborations, and support existing cohorts for the study of cancer-related outcomes. Comprehensive descriptive data were collected from large cohorts established to study cancer as primary outcome using a newly developed questionnaire. These included an inventory of baseline and follow-up data, biospecimens, genomics, policies, and protocols. Additional descriptive data extracted from publicly available sources were also collected. This information was entered in a searchable and publicly accessible database. We summarized the descriptive data across cohorts and reported the characteristics of this resource. As of December 2015, the CEDCD includes data from 46 cohorts representing more than 6.5 million individuals (29% ethnic/racial minorities). Overall, 78% of the cohorts have collected blood at least once, 57% at multiple time points, and 46% collected tissue samples. Genotyping has been performed by 67% of the cohorts, while 46% have performed whole-genome or exome sequencing in subsets of enrolled individuals. Information on medical conditions other than cancer has been collected in more than 50% of the cohorts. More than 600,000 incident cancer cases and more than 40,000 prevalent cases are reported, with 24 cancer sites represented. The CEDCD assembles detailed descriptive information on a large number of cancer cohorts in a searchable database. Information from the CEDCD may assist the interdisciplinary research community by facilitating identification of well-established population resources and large-scale collaborative and integrative research. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(10); 1392-401. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

Challenges of Designing Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Curricula: Case Studies of Interdisciplinary Master's Programmes at a Research-Intensive UK University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gantogtokh, Orkhon; Quinlan, Kathleen M.

2017-01-01

This study, based on case study analyses of two interdisciplinary programmes in a research-intensive university in the UK, focuses on the challenges involved in designing, coordinating, and leading interdisciplinary postgraduate curricula, including workload, student heterogeneity, and difficulties in achieving coherence. Solutions and approaches…

Highlights of Programmatic, Interdisciplinary Research on Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berninger, Virginia W.

2009-01-01

An overview of research topics and findings from an interdisciplinary, programmatic line of research on writing over the past 25 years is presented. The cross-sectional assessment studies (grades 1 to 9) showed which measures uniquely explained variance in handwriting, spelling, and composing and thus validated their use in assessment. These and…

Integrating Human Factors Engineering and Information Processing Approaches to Facilitate Evaluations in Criminal Justice Technology Research.

PubMed

Salvemini, Anthony V; Piza, Eric L; Carter, Jeremy G; Grommon, Eric L; Merritt, Nancy

2015-06-01

Evaluations are routinely conducted by government agencies and research organizations to assess the effectiveness of technology in criminal justice. Interdisciplinary research methods are salient to this effort. Technology evaluations are faced with a number of challenges including (1) the need to facilitate effective communication between social science researchers, technology specialists, and practitioners, (2) the need to better understand procedural and contextual aspects of a given technology, and (3) the need to generate findings that can be readily used for decision making and policy recommendations. Process and outcome evaluations of technology can be enhanced by integrating concepts from human factors engineering and information processing. This systemic approach, which focuses on the interaction between humans, technology, and information, enables researchers to better assess how a given technology is used in practice. Examples are drawn from complex technologies currently deployed within the criminal justice system where traditional evaluations have primarily focused on outcome metrics. Although this evidence-based approach has significant value, it is vulnerable to fully account for human and structural complexities that compose technology operations. Guiding principles for technology evaluations are described for identifying and defining key study metrics, facilitating communication within an interdisciplinary research team, and for understanding the interaction between users, technology, and information. The approach posited here can also enable researchers to better assess factors that may facilitate or degrade the operational impact of the technology and answer fundamental questions concerning whether the technology works as intended, at what level, and cost. © The Author(s) 2015.

Interdisciplinary Research Produces Results in the Understanding of Planetary Dunes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titus, Timothy N.; Hayward, Rosalyn Kay; Bourke, Mary C.

2010-08-01

Second International Planetary Dunes Workshop: Planetary Analogs—Integrating Models, Remote Sensing, and Field Data; Alamosa, Colorado, 18-21 May 2010; Dunes and other eolian bed forms are prominent on several planetary bodies in our solar system. Despite 4 decades of study, many questions remain regarding the composition, age, and origins of these features, as well as the climatic conditions under which they formed. Recently acquired data from orbiters and rovers, together with terrestrial analogs and numerical models, are providing new insights into Martian sand dunes, as well as eolian bed forms on other terrestrial planetary bodies (e.g., Titan). As a means of bringing together terrestrial and planetary researchers from diverse backgrounds with the goal of fostering collaborative interdisciplinary research, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, the Desert Research Institute, and the U.S. National Park Service held a workshop in Colorado. The small group setting facilitated intensive discussion of problems and issues associated with eolian processes on Earth, Mars, and Titan.

The Cancer Epidemiology Descriptive Cohort Database: A Tool to Support Population-Based Interdisciplinary Research

PubMed Central

Kennedy, Amy E.; Khoury, Muin J.; Ioannidis, John P.A.; Brotzman, Michelle; Miller, Amy; Lane, Crystal; Lai, Gabriel Y.; Rogers, Scott D.; Harvey, Chinonye; Elena, Joanne W.; Seminara, Daniela

2017-01-01

Background We report on the establishment of a web-based Cancer Epidemiology Descriptive Cohort Database (CEDCD). The CEDCD’s goals are to enhance awareness of resources, facilitate interdisciplinary research collaborations, and support existing cohorts for the study of cancer-related outcomes. Methods Comprehensive descriptive data were collected from large cohorts established to study cancer as primary outcome using a newly developed questionnaire. These included an inventory of baseline and follow-up data, biospecimens, genomics, policies, and protocols. Additional descriptive data extracted from publicly available sources were also collected. This information was entered in a searchable and publicly accessible database. We summarized the descriptive data across cohorts and reported the characteristics of this resource. Results As of December 2015, the CEDCD includes data from 46 cohorts representing more than 6.5 million individuals (29% ethnic/racial minorities). Overall, 78% of the cohorts have collected blood at least once, 57% at multiple time points, and 46% collected tissue samples. Genotyping has been performed by 67% of the cohorts, while 46% have performed whole-genome or exome sequencing in subsets of enrolled individuals. Information on medical conditions other than cancer has been collected in more than 50% of the cohorts. More than 600,000 incident cancer cases and more than 40,000 prevalent cases are reported, with 24 cancer sites represented. Conclusions The CEDCD assembles detailed descriptive information on a large number of cancer cohorts in a searchable database. Impact Information from the CEDCD may assist the interdisciplinary research community by facilitating identification of well-established population resources and large-scale collaborative and integrative research. PMID:27439404

Definitions of Interdisciplinary Research: Toward Graduate-Level Interdisciplinary Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borrego, Maura; Newswander, Lynita K.

2010-01-01

Combining the interdisciplinary studies (primarily humanities) literature with the content analysis of 129 successful National Science Foundation proposals written predominantly by science and engineering faculty members, the authors identify five categories of learning outcomes for interdisciplinary graduate education: disciplinary grounding,…

Visualising the Interdisciplinary Research Field: The Life Cycle of Economic History in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Claire; Ville, Simon

2017-01-01

Interdisciplinary research is frequently viewed as an important component of the research landscape through its innovative ability to integrate knowledge from different areas. However, support for interdisciplinary research is often strategic rhetoric, with policy-makers and universities frequently adopting practices that favour disciplinary…

The Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory: A Student Team Approach to the Fourth-Year Research Thesis Project Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piunno, Paul A. E.; Boyd, Cleo; Barzda, Virginijus; Gradinaru, Claudiu C.; Krull, Ulrich J.; Stefanovic, Sasa; Stewart, Bryan

2014-01-01

The advanced interdisciplinary research laboratory (AIRLab) represents a novel, effective, and motivational course designed from the interdisciplinary research interests of chemistry, physics, biology, and education development faculty members as an alternative to the independent thesis project experience. Student teams are assembled to work…

Organizing for Interdisciplinary Research in a University Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cravens, David W.; And Others

1976-01-01

University administrators should study the various organizational approaches used for managing interdisciplinary research (IDR) in their institutions. More aggressive, innovative approaches to IDR management should be adopted. Available from: the Society of Research Administrators, 2855 East Coast Highway, Suite 225, Corona del Mar, CA 92625.…

Materials library collections as tools for interdisciplinary research

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT This paper examines how materials libraries are used as tools for interdisciplinary collaboration in 3 research projects that inhabit a disciplinary triangle between materials research, design and user needs: PhysFeel, which explores how materials collections can be used in psychological therapies; Light.Touch.Matters, a design-led project to develop new smart materials; and Hands of X, which uses materials collections to develop a bespoke prosthetics service. The paper analyses and contrasts these case studies to better understand the affordances and limitations of materials collections when used as research, translational and design tools. We conclude that in collaborations between materials researchers, designers and end users, tensions arise as a result of the primacy that each partner gives to creativity, the development of new knowledge and to solving societal problems. The use of a materials library addresses many of these issues but is not a panacea for all the problems associated with interdisciplinary working. PMID:29576803

Materials library collections as tools for interdisciplinary research.

PubMed

Wilkes, S E; Miodownik, M A

2018-01-01

This paper examines how materials libraries are used as tools for interdisciplinary collaboration in 3 research projects that inhabit a disciplinary triangle between materials research, design and user needs: PhysFeel , which explores how materials collections can be used in psychological therapies; Light.Touch.Matters , a design-led project to develop new smart materials; and Hands of X , which uses materials collections to develop a bespoke prosthetics service. The paper analyses and contrasts these case studies to better understand the affordances and limitations of materials collections when used as research, translational and design tools. We conclude that in collaborations between materials researchers, designers and end users, tensions arise as a result of the primacy that each partner gives to creativity, the development of new knowledge and to solving societal problems. The use of a materials library addresses many of these issues but is not a panacea for all the problems associated with interdisciplinary working.

Cultivating Conditions for Access: A Case for "Case-Making" in Graduate Student Preparation for Interdisciplinary Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hannah, Mark A.; Arreguin, Alex

2017-01-01

Gaining access to interdisciplinary research sites poses unique research challenges to technical and professional communication scholars and practitioners. Drawing on applied experiences in externally funded interdisciplinary research projects and scholarship about interdisciplinary research, this article describes a training protocol for…

Perspectives on the formation of an interdisciplinary research team

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

As research funding becomes more competitive, it will be imperative for researchers to break the mentality of a single laboratory/single research focus and develop an interdisciplinary research team aimed at addressing real world challenges. Members of this team may be at the same institution, may b...

Mentoring Undergraduate Scholars: A Pathway to Interdisciplinary Research?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Shannon N.; Mahatmya, Duhita; Garner, Pamela W.; Jones, Rebecca M.

2015-01-01

Interdisciplinary research is a valuable approach to addressing complex real-world problems. However, undergraduate research mentoring is discussed as an activity that happens in disciplinary silos where the mentor and student scholar share a disciplinary background. By transcending traditional academic divisions, we argue that mentors can train a…

Facilitating Interdisciplinary Learning: Lessons from Project Kaleidoscope

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kezar, Adrianna; Elrod, Susan

2012-01-01

Many major funding organizations, policymakers, government agencies, and other higher education stakeholders want higher education to encourage interdisciplinary learning so that students graduate with the requisite skills to take on complex jobs in science, policy, business, and industry. Calls for this kind of change have been most urgent within…

Postgraduate Students' Experiences in Interdisciplinary Research Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winberg, C.; Barnes, V.; Ncube, K.; Tshinu, S.

2011-01-01

Many postgraduate interdisciplinary research (IDR) candidates in the applied disciplines work across two or more traditional areas of study. Such candidates often spend considerable time on knowledge-building activities outside their home (or undergraduate) disciplines; IDR candidates venture into new fields and are exposed to the cultures and…

An Honors Interdisciplinary Community-Based Research Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunbar, David; Terlecki, Melissa; Watterson, Nancy; Ratmansky, Lisa

2013-01-01

This article describes how two faculty members at Cabrini College--one from biology and the other from psychology--incorporated interdisciplinary community-based research in an honors course on environmental watershed issues. The course, Environmental Psychology, was team-taught in partnership with a local watershed organization, the Valley Creek…

Collection Building for Interdisciplinary Research: An Analysis of Input/Output Factors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Myoung Chung; Edelman, Hendrik

Collection development and management in academic libraries continue to present a considerable challenge, especially in interdisciplinary fields. In order to ascertain patterns of interdisciplinary research, including the patterns of demand for bibliographic resources, this study analyzes the input/output factors that are related to the research…

Challenges of Interdisciplinary Research: Reconciling Qualitative and Quantitative Methods for Understanding Human-Landscape Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lach, Denise

2014-01-01

While interdisciplinary research is increasingly practiced as a way to transcend the limitations of individual disciplines, our concepts, and methods are primarily rooted in the disciplines that shape the way we think about the world and how we conduct research. While natural and social scientists may share a general understanding of how science is conducted, disciplinary differences in methodologies quickly emerge during interdisciplinary research efforts. This paper briefly introduces and reviews different philosophical underpinnings of quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches and introduces the idea that a pragmatic, realistic approach may allow natural and social scientists to work together productively. While realism assumes that there is a reality that exists independently of our perceptions, the work of scientists is to explore the mechanisms by which actions cause meaningful outcomes and the conditions under which the mechanisms can act. Our task as interdisciplinary researchers is to use the insights of our disciplines in the context of the problem to co-produce an explanation for the variables of interest. Research on qualities necessary for successful interdisciplinary researchers is also discussed along with recent efforts by funding agencies and academia to increase capacities for interdisciplinary research.

Challenges of interdisciplinary research: reconciling qualitative and quantitative methods for understanding human-landscape systems.

PubMed

Lach, Denise

2014-01-01

While interdisciplinary research is increasingly practiced as a way to transcend the limitations of individual disciplines, our concepts, and methods are primarily rooted in the disciplines that shape the way we think about the world and how we conduct research. While natural and social scientists may share a general understanding of how science is conducted, disciplinary differences in methodologies quickly emerge during interdisciplinary research efforts. This paper briefly introduces and reviews different philosophical underpinnings of quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches and introduces the idea that a pragmatic, realistic approach may allow natural and social scientists to work together productively. While realism assumes that there is a reality that exists independently of our perceptions, the work of scientists is to explore the mechanisms by which actions cause meaningful outcomes and the conditions under which the mechanisms can act. Our task as interdisciplinary researchers is to use the insights of our disciplines in the context of the problem to co-produce an explanation for the variables of interest. Research on qualities necessary for successful interdisciplinary researchers is also discussed along with recent efforts by funding agencies and academia to increase capacities for interdisciplinary research.

Interdisciplinary training in mathematical biology through team-based undergraduate research and courses.

PubMed

Miller, Jason E; Walston, Timothy

2010-01-01

Inspired by BIO2010 and leveraging institutional and external funding, Truman State University built an undergraduate program in mathematical biology with high-quality, faculty-mentored interdisciplinary research experiences at its core. These experiences taught faculty and students to bridge the epistemological gap between the mathematical and life sciences. Together they created the infrastructure that currently supports several interdisciplinary courses, an innovative minor degree, and long-term interdepartmental research collaborations. This article describes how the program was built with support from the National Science Foundation's Interdisciplinary Training for Undergraduates in Biology and Mathematics program, and it shares lessons learned that will help other undergraduate institutions build their own program.

Engagement in Two Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newswander, Lynita K.; Borrego, Maura

2009-01-01

This qualitative study examines two US interdisciplinary graduate programs which involve faculty and students from different disciplines. Haworth and Conrad's engagement theory of quality graduate education was applied. It was found that when interdisciplinary programs facilitate engagement by supporting diversity, participation, connections, and…

Building Collective Communication Competence in Interdisciplinary Research Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Jessica Leigh

2009-01-01

Using a grounded theory approach, this investigation addresses how an interdisciplinary research (IDR) team negotiates meaning and struggles to establish and sustain a sense of collective communication competence (CCC). Certain communication processes were foundational to building CCC, such as spending time together, practicing trust, discussing…

Interdisciplinary Approach to Understanding Literary Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dossanova, Altynay Zh.; Ismakova, Bibissara S.; Tapanova, Saule E.; Ayupova, Gulbagira K.; Gotting, Valentina V.; Kaltayeva, Gulnar K.

2016-01-01

The primary purpose is the implementation of the interdisciplinary approach to understanding and the construction of integrative models of understanding literary texts. The interdisciplinary methodological paradigm of studying text understanding, based on the principles of various sciences facilitating the identification of the text understanding…

Opportunities and Challenges for Interdisciplinary Research and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Henry

2008-01-01

Interdisciplinary research and education (IDRE) holds center stage in current academic discussions. Despite the widespread agreement on the promises of IDRE, barriers for effective IDRE implementation remain significant. This study explored the opportunities and challenges of IDRE in integrated soil and water sciences at the Pennsylvania State…

Conducting interdisciplinary research to promote healthy and safe employment in health care: promises and pitfalls.

PubMed

Slatin, Craig; Galizzi, Monica; Melillo, Karen Devereaux; Mawn, Barbara

2004-01-01

Due to the complexity of human health, emphasis is increasingly being placed on the need for and conduct of multidisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary health research. Yet many academic and research organizations--and the discipline-specific associations and journals--may not yet be prepared to adopt changes necessary to optimally support interdisciplinary work. This article presents an ongoing interdisciplinary research project's efforts to investigate mechanisms and pathways that lead to occupational health disparities among healthcare workers. It describes the promises and pitfalls encountered during the research,and outlines effective strategies that emerged as a result. Lessons learned include: conflict resolution regarding theoretical and methodological differences; establishing a sense of intellectual ownership of the research, as well as guidelines for multiple authorship; and development and utilization of protocols, communication systems, and tools. This experience suggests a need for the establishment of supportive structures and processes to promote successful interdisciplinary research.

Conducting interdisciplinary research to promote healthy and safe employment in health care: promises and pitfalls.

PubMed Central

Slatin, Craig; Galizzi, Monica; Melillo, Karen Devereaux; Mawn, Barbara

2004-01-01

Due to the complexity of human health, emphasis is increasingly being placed on the need for and conduct of multidisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary health research. Yet many academic and research organizations--and the discipline-specific associations and journals--may not yet be prepared to adopt changes necessary to optimally support interdisciplinary work. This article presents an ongoing interdisciplinary research project's efforts to investigate mechanisms and pathways that lead to occupational health disparities among healthcare workers. It describes the promises and pitfalls encountered during the research,and outlines effective strategies that emerged as a result. Lessons learned include: conflict resolution regarding theoretical and methodological differences; establishing a sense of intellectual ownership of the research, as well as guidelines for multiple authorship; and development and utilization of protocols, communication systems, and tools. This experience suggests a need for the establishment of supportive structures and processes to promote successful interdisciplinary research. PMID:15147650

Incorporating collaboratory concepts into informatics in support of translational interdisciplinary biomedical research

PubMed Central

Lee, E. Sally; McDonald, David W.; Anderson, Nicholas; Tarczy-Hornoch, Peter

2008-01-01

Due to its complex nature, modern biomedical research has become increasingly interdisciplinary and collaborative in nature. Although a necessity, interdisciplinary biomedical collaboration is difficult. There is, however, a growing body of literature on the study and fostering of collaboration in fields such as computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) and information science (IS). These studies of collaboration provide insight into how to potentially alleviate the difficulties of interdisciplinary collaborative research. We, therefore, undertook a cross cutting study of science and engineering collaboratories to identify emergent themes. We review many relevant collaboratory concepts: (a) general collaboratory concepts across many domains: communication, common workspace and coordination, and data sharing and management, (b) specific collaboratory concepts of particular biomedical relevance: data integration and analysis, security structure, metadata and data provenance, and interoperability and data standards, (c) environmental factors that support collaboratories: administrative and management structure, technical support, and available funding as critical environmental factors, and (d) future considerations for biomedical collaboration: appropriate training and long-term planning. In our opinion, the collaboratory concepts we discuss can guide planning and design of future collaborative infrastructure by biomedical informatics researchers to alleviate some of the difficulties of interdisciplinary biomedical collaboration. PMID:18706852

Interdisciplinary, interinstitutional and international collaboration of family medicine researchers in Taiwan.

PubMed

Lin, Yi-Hsuan; Tseng, Yen-Han; Chang, Hsiao-Ting; Lin, Ming-Hwai; Tseng, Yen-Chiang; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

2015-01-01

The family medicine researches flourished worldwide in the past decade. However, the collaborative patterns of family medicine publications had not been reported. Our study analyzed the collaborative activity of family medicine researchers in Taiwan. We focused on the types of collaboration among disciplines, institutions and countries. We searched "family medicine" AND "Taiwan" in address field from Web of Science and documented the disciplines, institutions and countries of all authors. We analyzed the collaborative patterns of family medicine researchers in Taiwan from 2010 to 2014. The journal's impact factor of each article in the same publication year was also retrieved. Among 1,217 articles from 2010 to 2014, interdisciplinary collaboration existed in 1,185 (97.3%) articles, interinstitutional in 1,012 (83.2%) and international in 142 (11.7%). Public health was the most common collaborative discipline. All international researches were also interdisciplinary and interinstitutional. The United States (75 articles), the United Kingdom (21) and the People's Republic of China (20) were the top three countries with which family medicine researchers in Taiwan had collaborated. We found a high degree of interdisciplinary and interinstitutional collaboration of family medicine researches in Taiwan. However, the collaboration of family medicine researchers in Taiwan with family medicine colleagues of other domestic or foreign institutions was insufficient. The future direction of family medicine studies could focus on the promotion of communication among family medicine researchers.

Researching the Interdisciplinary Curriculum: The Need for "Translation Devices"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pountney, Richard; McPhail, Graham

2017-01-01

This paper discusses the conceptual and methodological challenges facing two researchers investigating the development of interdisciplinary curricula in two new secondary schools, one in the UK and one in New Zealand. It is a discussion of research in progress that will be of interest to readers because of both the methodological challenges…

Researcher Roles and the Organization of Interdisciplinary Groups. R&D for Higher Education, 1980:7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tornebohm, HaKan; And Others

Perspectives on interdisciplinary research are considered in terms of project planning, the choice of problem-solving approach, the research field, project organization, informal organization, and integration of knowledge. Interdisciplinary studies were investigaged through following a number of research projects by means of field trips,…

A Place for Materials Science: Laboratory Buildings and Interdisciplinary Research at the University of Pennsylvania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Hyungsub; Shields, Brit

2015-01-01

The Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM), University of Pennsylvania, was built in 1965 as part of the Advanced Research Projects Agency's (ARPA) Interdisciplinary Laboratories (IDL) program intended to foster interdisciplinary research and training in materials science. The process that led to the construction of the…

Teaching Earth Sciences as an interdisciplinary subject: Novel module design involving research literature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Vincent C. H.

2010-05-01

The study of Earth Sciences requires an interdisciplinary approach as it involves understanding scientific knowledge originating from a wide spectrum of research areas. Not only does it include subjects ranging from, for instance, hydrogeology to deep crustal seismology and from climate science to oceanography, but it also has many direct applications in closely related disciplines such as environmental engineering and natural resources management. While research crossing traditional disciplinary boundaries in geosciences is becoming increasingly common, there is only limited integration of interdisciplinary research in the teaching of the subject. Given that the transition from undergraduate education based on subject modules to postgraduate interdisciplinary research is never easy, such integration is a highly desirable pedagogical approach at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. My presentation is based on a recent teaching project involving novel design of an undergraduate course. The course is implemented in order to address the synergy between research and teaching (Tong, 2009). This project has been shown to be effective and successful in teaching geosciences undergraduates at the University of London. The module consists of studying core geophysical principles and linking them directly to a selection of recently published research papers in a wide range of interdisciplinary applications. Research reviewing and reporting techniques are systematically developed, practised and fully integrated into teaching of the core scientific theories. A fully-aligned assignment with a feedback website invites the students to reflect on the scientific knowledge and the study skills related to research literature they have acquired in the course. This teaching project has been recognized by a teaching award (http://www.clpd.bbk.ac.uk/staff/BETA). In this presentation, I will discuss how undergraduate teaching with a focus on research literature in Earth Sciences can

Joint Interdisciplinary Earth Science Information Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kafatos, Menas

2004-01-01

The report spans the three year period beginning in June of 2001 and ending June of 2004. Joint Interdisciplinary Earth Science Information Center's (JIESIC) primary purpose has been to carry out research in support of the Global Change Data Center and other Earth science laboratories at Goddard involved in Earth science, remote sensing and applications data and information services. The purpose is to extend the usage of NASA Earth Observing System data, microwave data and other Earth observing data. JIESIC projects fall within the following categories: research and development; STW and WW prototyping; science data, information products and services; and science algorithm support. JIESIC facilitates extending the utility of NASA's Earth System Enterprise (ESE) data, information products and services to better meet the science data and information needs of a number of science and applications user communities, including domain users such as discipline Earth scientists, interdisciplinary Earth scientists, Earth science applications users and educators.

Interdisciplinary innovations in biomedical and health informatics graduate education.

PubMed

Demiris, G

2007-01-01

Biomedical and health informatics (BHI) is a rapidly growing domain that relies on the active collaboration with diverse disciplines and professions. Educational initiatives in BHI need to prepare students with skills and competencies that will allow them to function within and even facilitate interdisciplinary teams (IDT). This paper describes an interdisciplinary educational approach introduced into a BHI graduate curriculum that aims to prepare informatics researchers to lead IDT research. A case study of the "gerontechnology" research track is presented which highlights how the curriculum fosters collaboration with and understanding of the disciplines of Nursing, Engineering, Computer Science, and Health Administration. Gerontechnology is a new interdisciplinary field that focuses on the use of technology to support aging. Its aim is to explore innovative ways to use information technology and develop systems that support independency and increase quality of life for senior citizens. As a result of a large research group that explores "smart home" technologies and the use of information technology, we integrated this new domain into the curriculum providing a platform for computer scientists, engineers, nurses and physicians to explore challenges and opportunities with our informatics students and faculty. The interdisciplinary educational model provides an opportunity for health informatics students to acquire the skills for communication and collaboration with other disciplines. Numerous graduate and postgraduate students have already participated in this initiative. The evaluation model of this approach is presented. Interdisciplinary educational models are required for health informatics graduate education. Such models need to be innovative and reflect the needs and trends in the domains of health care and information technology.

Conducting HIV research in racial and ethnic minority communities: building a successful interdisciplinary research team.

PubMed

Polanco, Frinny R; Dominguez, Dinora C; Grady, Christine; Stoll, Pamela; Ramos, Catalina; Mican, Joann M; Miranda-Acevedo, Robert; Morgan, Marcela; Aizvera, Jeasmine; Purdie, Lori; Koziol, Deloris; Rivera-Goba, Migdalia V

2011-01-01

HIV infection occurs in disproportionately high rates among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States, making it imperative that individuals from these groups be included in research studies. However, it is often difficult to recruit HIV-infected Hispanics and African Americans in clinical trials, but a skilled interdisciplinary team that includes researchers with racial and ethnic diversity can help. This article describes a successful approach for building an interdisciplinary team that values the participation of racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trials and has the skills to work with these groups. The success of the Adelante (a Spanish word meaning forward) Team can be attributed to team members who actively participate in decision-making, are empowered, and function in a cohesive manner. Successful research teams build relationships with research participants to increase the probability that racial and ethnic minorities will enroll and participate fully in research. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The AI Interdisciplinary Context: Single or Multiple Research Bases?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khawam, Yves J.

1992-01-01

This study used citation analysis to determine whether the disciplines contributing to the journal literature of artificial intelligence (AI)--philosophy, psychology, linguistics, computer science, and engineering--share a common AI research base. The idea that AI consists of a completely interdisciplinary endeavor was refuted. (MES)

UNITED PRESBYTERIAN NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL SURVEY, AN INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROJECT. VOLUME I, THE RESEARCH MODEL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WHITMAN, LAURIS B.; AND OTHERS

AS PART OF AN OVERALL EVALUATION OF ITS EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM, THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, IN 1964, COMMISSIONED THE DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES TO PROVIDE SYSTEMATIC AND COHERENT PROFILES OF COMMUNICANTS, YOUTH, CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS, AND MINISTERS. THIS RESEARCH WAS BASED ON THE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO…

Research and Teaching: Toward Interdisciplinary Perspectives--Using Osmotic Pressure as an Example for Analyzing Textbook Explanations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sung, Shannon; Shen, Ji; Stanger-Hall, Kathrin F.; Wiegert, Craig; Li, Wan-l; Brown, Scott; Robertson, Tom

2015-01-01

Despite the increasing interests and practices in interdisciplinary science education, little research has been documented to develop effective assessments targeting students' interdisciplinary learning. In response to this gap, a team of scientists and educators developed an interdisciplinary assessment instrument targeting osmosis, which was…

HESS Opinions "Integration of groundwater and surface water research: an interdisciplinary problem?"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barthel, R.

2014-02-01

Today there is a great consensus that water resources research needs to become more holistic, integrating perspectives of a large variety of disciplines. Groundwater and surface water (hereafter: GW and SW) are typically identified as different compartments of the hydrological cycle and were traditionally often studied and managed separately. However, despite this separation, these respective fields of study are usually not considered to be different disciplines. They are often seen as different specialisations of hydrology with different focus, yet similar theory, concepts, methodology. The present article discusses how this notion may form a substantial obstacle in the further integration of GW and SW research and management. The article focusses on the regional scale (areas of approx. 103 to 106 km2), which is identified as the scale where integration is most greatly needed, but ironically the least amount of fully integrated research seems to be undertaken. The state of research on integrating GW and SW research is briefly reviewed and the most essential differences between GW hydrology (or hydrogeology, geohydrology) and SW hydrology are presented. Groundwater recharge and baseflow are used as examples to illustrate different perspectives on similar phenomena that can cause severe misunderstandings and errors in the conceptualisation of integration schemes. It is also discussed that integration of GW and SW research on the regional scale necessarily must move beyond the hydrological aspects, by collaborating with social sciences and increasing the interaction between science and the society in general. The typical elements of an ideal interdisciplinary workflow are presented and their relevance with respect to integration of GW and SW is discussed. The overall conclusions are that GW hydrology and SW hydrogeology study rather different objects of interest, using different types of observation, working on different problem settings. They have thus developed

Conducting HIV Research in Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities: Building a Successful Interdisciplinary Research Team

PubMed Central

Polanco, Frinny R.; Dominguez, Dinora C.; Grady, Christine; Stoll, Pamela; Ramos, Catalina; Mican, JoAnn M.; Miranda-Acevedo, Robert; Morgan, Marcela; Aizvera, Jeasmine; Purdie, Lori; Koziol, Deloris; Rivera-Goba, Migdalia V.

2011-01-01

HIV infection occurs in disproportionately high rates among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States, making it imperative that individuals from these groups be included in research studies. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to recruit HIV-infected Hispanics and African Americans into clinical trials, but a skilled interdisciplinary team that includes researchers with racial and ethnic diversity can help. This article describes a successful approach for building an interdisciplinary team that values the participation of racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trials and that has the skills to work with these groups. The success of the Adelante (a Spanish word meaning forward) Team can be attributed to team members who actively participate in decision-making, are empowered, and function in a cohesive manner. Successful research teams build relationships with research participants in order to increase the probability that racial and ethnic minorities will enroll and participate fully in research. PMID:21277228

Interdisciplinary Research Funding: Reaching Outside the Boundaries of Kinesiology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freedson, Patty

2009-01-01

Interdisciplinary research requires that experts from multiple disciplines work together to combine methods and ideas in an integrative fashion to generate new knowledge. In many respects, the field of kinesiology is ideally positioned to take advantage of its inherent multidisciplinary design. Because of the multidisciplinary structure of…

Interdisciplinary research and education in the Vienna Doctoral Programme on Water Resource Systems: a framework for evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloeschl, G.; Carr, G.; Loucks, D. P.

2017-12-01

Greater understanding of how interdisciplinary research and education evolves is critical for identifying and implementing appropriate programme management strategies. We propose a program evaluation framework that is based on social learning processes (individual learning, interdisciplinary research practices, and interaction between researchers with different backgrounds); social capital outcomes (ability to interact, interpersonal connectivity, and shared understanding); and knowledge and human capital outcomes (new knowledge that integrates multiple research fields). The framework is tested on established case study doctoral program: the Vienna Doctoral Program on Water Resource Systems. Data are collected via mixed qualitative/quantitative methods that include semi-structured interviews, publication co-author analysis, analysis of research proposals, categorisation of the interdisciplinarity of publications and graduate analysis. Through the evaluation and analysis, several interesting findings about how interdisciplinary research evolves and can be supported are identified. Firstly, different aspects of individual learning seem to contribute to a researcher's ability to interact with researchers from other research fields and work collaboratively. These include learning new material from different research fields, learning how to learn new material and learning how to integrate different material. Secondly, shared interdisciplinary research practices can be identified that may be common to other programs and support interaction and shared understanding between different researchers. They include clarification and questioning, harnessing differences and setting defensible research boundaries. Thirdly, intensive interaction between researchers from different backgrounds support connectivity between the researchers, further enabling cross-disciplinary collaborative work. The case study data suggest that social learning processes and social capital outcomes

Interdisciplinary collaboration applied to clinical research: an example of remote monitoring in lung transplantation

PubMed Central

VanWormer, Arin; Robiner, William; Finkelstein, Stanley

2012-01-01

Collaboration across disciplines is vital in clinical practice. It is also needed to generate high-quality actionable research, yet few frameworks for interdisciplinary collaboration exit to promote effective communications among researchers with common boals, but varied backgrounds. A review of that has been learned about collaboration was undertaken to determine attributes of effective interdisciplinary collaboration and barriers to its realization in patients undergoing lung transplantation. PMID:22475710

Interdisciplinary eHealth Practice in Cancer Care: A Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

Janssen, Anna; Hines, Monique; Nagarajan, Srivalli Vilapakkam; Kielly-Carroll, Candice; Shaw, Tim

2017-01-01

This review aimed to identify research that described how eHealth facilitates interdisciplinary cancer care and to understand the ways in which eHealth innovations are being used in this setting. An integrative review of eHealth interventions used for interdisciplinary care for people with cancer was conducted by systematically searching research databases in March 2015, and repeated in September 2016. Searches resulted in 8531 citations, of which 140 were retrieved and scanned in full, with twenty-six studies included in the review. Analysis of data extracted from the included articles revealed five broad themes: (i) data collection and accessibility; (ii) virtual multidisciplinary teams; (iii) communication between individuals involved in the delivery of health services; (iv) communication pathways between patients and cancer care teams; and (v) health professional-led change. Use of eHealth interventions in cancer care was widespread, particularly to support interdisciplinary care. However, research has focused on development and implementation of interventions, rather than on long-term impact. Further research is warranted to explore design, evaluation, and long-term sustainability of eHealth systems and interventions in interdisciplinary cancer care. Technology evolves quickly and researchers need to provide health professionals with timely guidance on how best to respond to new technologies in the health sector. PMID:29068377

Interdisciplinary eHealth Practice in Cancer Care: A Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Janssen, Anna; Brunner, Melissa; Keep, Melanie; Hines, Monique; Nagarajan, Srivalli Vilapakkam; Kielly-Carroll, Candice; Dennis, Sarah; McKeough, Zoe; Shaw, Tim

2017-10-25

This review aimed to identify research that described how eHealth facilitates interdisciplinary cancer care and to understand the ways in which eHealth innovations are being used in this setting. An integrative review of eHealth interventions used for interdisciplinary care for people with cancer was conducted by systematically searching research databases in March 2015, and repeated in September 2016. Searches resulted in 8531 citations, of which 140 were retrieved and scanned in full, with twenty-six studies included in the review. Analysis of data extracted from the included articles revealed five broad themes: (i) data collection and accessibility; (ii) virtual multidisciplinary teams; (iii) communication between individuals involved in the delivery of health services; (iv) communication pathways between patients and cancer care teams; and (v) health professional-led change. Use of eHealth interventions in cancer care was widespread, particularly to support interdisciplinary care. However, research has focused on development and implementation of interventions, rather than on long-term impact. Further research is warranted to explore design, evaluation, and long-term sustainability of eHealth systems and interventions in interdisciplinary cancer care. Technology evolves quickly and researchers need to provide health professionals with timely guidance on how best to respond to new technologies in the health sector.

International Interdisciplinary Research Institute Project in Senegal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gueye, Paul

2010-02-01

The project of an interdisciplinary research institute in Senegal was initiated in 1993 in Senegal (West Africa) and became a template for a similar project in the US in 1999. Since then, numerous meetings and presentations have been held at various national and international institutions, workshops and conferences. The current development of this partnership includes drafts for a full design of all systems at each facility, as well as the physics, applied health and educational programs to be implemented. The Senegal facility was conceived for scientific capacity building and equally to act as a focal point aimed at using the local scientific expertise. An anticipated outcome would be a contribution to the reduction of an ever-growing brain drain process suffered by the country, and the African continent in general. The development of the project led also to a strong African orientation of the facility: built for international collaboration, it is to be a pan-African endeavor and to serve primarily African countries. The facility received a presidential approval in a 2003 meeting and will develop an interdisciplinary program centered on a strong materials science research which will also allow for the establishment of an advanced analytical (physical chemistry) laboratory. A central part of the facility will be linked to state-of-the art accelerator mass spectrometry, cyclotron and low energy electromagnetic accelerator systems. )

Providing Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Research through Partnering two Undergraduate Research Programs: RESESS and SOARS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandya, R. E.; Eriksson, S. C.

2005-12-01

Undergraduate research provides a unique opportunity to explore scientifically novel questions, particularly those at the intersection of disciplines. This opportunity should be balanced with the need to provide the strong discipline-based training that undergraduate students require to continue their academic careers. This need for balance is especially acute for students from groups who are historically under-represented in geosciences; their status as minorities and women makes them especially vulnerable to the devaluing of their research if it isn't along traditional lines. Combining undergraduate research with a strong, diverse learning community is one way to balance the opportunity of interdisciplinary research with the need for depth of understanding in a field. In this model, students individually pursue focused research in partnership with a particular scientist as they work collaboratively across disciplines to prepare scientific papers, presentations, and posters to share the results of their research. Over time, programmatic success can even help insulate students from the risks of interdisciplinary work. Research Experience for Students in Solid Earth Science (RESESS) and Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Science (SOARS) implement this approach. SOARS is a program with a 10-year history in the atmospheric science; RESESS is a new program focused on Solid Earth Sciences. The two currently collaborate by merging their learning communities while maintaining distinct research focuses. While still in the pilot phase of partnering, initial discussions by the student participants indicate a growing awareness of potential for cross-disciplinary collaboration. In fact, two projects, both by graduate students who have participated for multiple summers, straddle the disciplines of geology and meteorology. One project characterized dust storms in the Southwest US using remote sensing, and a second project studied wind-driven migration of sand dunes on the

Integrating Opportunities: Applied Interdisciplinary Research in Undergraduate Geography and Geology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viertel, David C.; Burns, Diane M.

2012-01-01

Unique integrative learning approaches represent a fundamental opportunity for undergraduate students and faculty alike to combine interdisciplinary methods with applied spatial research. Geography and geoscience-related disciplines are particularly well-suited to adapt multiple methods within a holistic and reflective mentored research paradigm.…

Book Review: Interdisciplinary Archaeological Research Programme Maasvlakte 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Innes, J. B.

2015-10-01

Archaeological investigation in wetland environments has long been recognised as a specialised aspect of the discipline, where the levels of preservation of organic materials and sediments can be so high that cultural horizons and excavated artefacts can be placed into detailed palaeo-environmental, biological and landscape contexts, in contrast to the more limited information of this kind that is available from dryland archaeological sites. Inevitably, the recovery, integration and understanding of these vital additional data require an interdisciplinary approach and an investment in specialist equipment and scientific analyses if their full potential for reconstructing human occupation and site use within their landscape setting is to be fully realised. The mobilisation and integration of such a team of environmental specialists can require major financial resources, meticulous planning and close co-operation between the various disciplines involved. The most extreme example of wetland archaeology is probably integrated excavation and environmental archaeological research in subtidal locations, but modern development of major coastal infrastructure is increasingly making sites available for study from the early to mid-Holocene or even earlier that have been overwhelmed by sea-level rise and which would otherwise be beyond the reach of archaeological investigation. Such very large scale subtidal interdisciplinary research projects are major, expensive and long-term undertakings and are still rare enough to be publication highlights in the discipline of environmental archaeology. Important recent examples of subtidal work in north-west Europe include Pedersen et al. (1997) and elements of Fischer (1995) in south Scandinavia, and investigations off southern England (Allen and Gardiner, 2000; Momber et al., 2011; Sturt et al., 2014). Research on submerged palaeoenvironments and palaeolandscapes has also seen significant advances (Griffiths et al., 2015), with the

Global biology - An interdisciplinary scientific research program at NASA, Ames Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawless, J. G.; Colin, L.

1983-01-01

NASA has initiated new effort in Global Biology, the primary focus of which is to understand biogeochemical cycles. As part of this effort, an interdisciplinary team of scientists has formed at Ames Research Center to investigate the cycling of sulfur in the marine coastal zone and to study the cycling of nitrogen in terrestrial ecosystems. Both studies will use remotely sensed data, coupled with ground-based research, to identify and measure the transfer of major and minor biologically produced gases between these ecosystems and global reservoirs.

Global Biology: An Interdisciplinary Scientific Research Program at NASA Ames Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawless, James G.; Colin, Lawrence

1984-01-01

NASA has initiated new effort in Global Biology, the primary focus of which is to understand biogeochemical cycles. As part of this effort, an interdisciplinary team of scientists has formed at Ames Research Center to investigate the cycling of sulfur in the marine coastal zone and to study the cycling of nitrogen in terrestrial ecosystems. Both studies will use remotely sensed data, coupled with ground-based research, to identify and measure the transfer of major and minor biologically produced gases between these ecosystems and global reservoirs.

Strategic Faculty Hiring in Two Public Research Universities: Pursuing Interdisciplinary Connections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sa, Creso M.

2008-01-01

This paper examines innovations in strategic faculty hiring emphasizing interdisciplinarity at two major public research universities in the USA. The research investigated how and why the Pennsylvania State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison chose to pursue interdisciplinary faculty recruitment, how it was structured, and how it…

Computer-mediated interdisciplinary teams: theory and reality.

PubMed

Vroman, Kerryellen; Kovacich, Joann

2002-05-01

The benefit of experience, tempered with the wisdom of hindsight and 5 years of text-based, asynchronous, computer-mediated, interdisciplinary team communications, provides the energy, insights and data shared in this article. Through the theoretical lens of group dynamics and the epistemology of interdisciplinary teaming, we analyze the interactions of a virtual interdisciplinary team to provide an understanding and appreciation of collaborative interdisciplinary communication in the context of interactive technologies. Whilst interactive technologies may require new patterns of language similar to that of learning a foreign language, what is communicated in the interdisciplinary team process does not change. Most important is the recognition that virtual teams, similar to their face-to-face counterparts, undergo the same challenges of interdisciplinary teaming and group developmental processes of formation: forming, storming, norming, performing, and transforming. After examining these dynamics of communication and collaboration in the context of the virtual team, the article concludes with guidelines facilitating interdisciplinary team computer-mediated communication.

HESS Opinions "Integration of groundwater and surface water research: an interdisciplinary problem?"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barthel, R.

2014-07-01

Today there is a great consensus that water resource research needs to become more holistic, integrating perspectives of a large variety of disciplines. Groundwater and surface water (hereafter: GW and SW) are typically identified as different compartments of the hydrological cycle and were traditionally often studied and managed separately. However, despite this separation, these respective fields of study are usually not considered to be different disciplines. They are often seen as different specializations of hydrology with a different focus yet similar theory, concepts, and methodology. The present article discusses how this notion may form a substantial obstacle in the further integration of GW and SW research and management. The article focuses on the regional scale (areas of approximately 103 to 106 km2), which is identified as the scale where integration is most greatly needed, but ironically where the least amount of fully integrated research seems to be undertaken. The state of research on integrating GW and SW research is briefly reviewed and the most essential differences between GW hydrology (or hydrogeology, geohydrology) and SW hydrology are presented. Groundwater recharge and baseflow are used as examples to illustrate different perspectives on similar phenomena that can cause severe misunderstandings and errors in the conceptualization of integration schemes. The fact that integration of GW and SW research on the regional scale necessarily must move beyond the hydrological aspects, by collaborating with the social sciences and increasing the interaction between science and society in general, is also discussed. The typical elements of an ideal interdisciplinary workflow are presented and their relevance with respect to the integration of GW and SW is discussed. The overall conclusions are that GW hydrology and SW hydrogeology study rather different objects of interest, using different types of observation, working on different problem settings

Organizational Influences on Interdisciplinary Interactions during Research and Design of Large-Scale Complex Engineered Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGowan, Anna-Maria R.; Seifert, Colleen M.; Papalambros, Panos Y.

2012-01-01

The design of large-scale complex engineered systems (LaCES) such as an aircraft is inherently interdisciplinary. Multiple engineering disciplines, drawing from a team of hundreds to thousands of engineers and scientists, are woven together throughout the research, development, and systems engineering processes to realize one system. Though research and development (R&D) is typically focused in single disciplines, the interdependencies involved in LaCES require interdisciplinary R&D efforts. This study investigates the interdisciplinary interactions that take place during the R&D and early conceptual design phases in the design of LaCES. Our theoretical framework is informed by both engineering practices and social science research on complex organizations. This paper provides preliminary perspective on some of the organizational influences on interdisciplinary interactions based on organization theory (specifically sensemaking), data from a survey of LaCES experts, and the authors experience in the research and design. The analysis reveals couplings between the engineered system and the organization that creates it. Survey respondents noted the importance of interdisciplinary interactions and their significant benefit to the engineered system, such as innovation and problem mitigation. Substantial obstacles to interdisciplinarity are uncovered beyond engineering that include communication and organizational challenges. Addressing these challenges may ultimately foster greater efficiencies in the design and development of LaCES and improved system performance by assisting with the collective integration of interdependent knowledge bases early in the R&D effort. This research suggests that organizational and human dynamics heavily influence and even constrain the engineering effort for large-scale complex systems.

Collective intelligence for translational medicine: Crowdsourcing insights and innovation from an interdisciplinary biomedical research community.

PubMed

Budge, Eleanor Jane; Tsoti, Sandra Maria; Howgate, Daniel James; Sivakumar, Shivan; Jalali, Morteza

2015-01-01

Translational medicine bridges the gap between discoveries in biomedical science and their safe and effective clinical application. Despite the gross opportunity afforded by modern research for unparalleled advances in this field, the process of translation remains protracted. Efforts to expedite science translation have included the facilitation of interdisciplinary collaboration within both academic and clinical environments in order to generate integrated working platforms fuelling the sharing of knowledge, expertise, and tools to align biomedical research with clinical need. However, barriers to scientific translation remain, and further progress is urgently required. Collective intelligence and crowdsourcing applications offer the potential for global online networks, allowing connection and collaboration between a wide variety of fields. This would drive the alignment of biomedical science with biotechnology, clinical need, and patient experience, in order to deliver evidence-based innovation which can revolutionize medical care worldwide. Here we discuss the critical steps towards implementing collective intelligence in translational medicine using the experience of those in other fields of science and public health.

Assessment of Translational and Interdisciplinary Clinical Research at an Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

PubMed Central

Dao, Hanh Dung; Kota, Pravina; James, Judith A.; Stoner, Julie A.; Akins, Darrin R.

2015-01-01

Purpose In response to National Institutes of Health initiatives to improve translation of basic science discoveries we surveyed faculty to assess patterns of and barriers to translational research in Oklahoma. Methods An online survey was administered to University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, College of Medicine faculty, which included demographic and research questions. Results Responses were received from 126 faculty members (24%). Two-thirds spent ≥20% time on research; among these, 90% conduct clinical and translational research. Identifying funding; recruiting research staff and participants; preparing reports and agreements; and protecting research time were commonly perceived as at least moderate barriers to conducting research. While respondents largely collaborated within their discipline, clinical investigators were more likely than basic science investigators to engage in interdisciplinary research. Conclusion While engagement in translational research is common, specific barriers impact the research process. This could be improved through an expanded interdisciplinary collaboration and research support structure. PMID:26242016

Evaluation to Redesign a Prototype Officer Data Base for Interdisciplinary Research

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

accommodate cohort longitudinal research and econometric model testing . Recommendations regarding the adoption of the LOADB were presented. Utilization...commission data sets (Younkman, 1987), and the AIMS data set ( Ramsey & Younkman, 1989). An analysis of selected standardized tests for ROTC screening was...ARI Research Note 92-16 Evaluation to Redesign a Prototype il Officer Data Base for Interdisciplinary Research Dianne D. Younkman and Lori G. Ramsey

Addressing Global Environmental Challenges through Interdisciplinary Biogeochemical Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paytan, A.

2013-12-01

Our planet is dynamic; energy and matter constantly move between the hydrosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere on time scales from seconds to millenia. These tight interactions - including those between organisms and their physical environment - are what make Earth habitable. However, as Rachel Carson wrote, 'Only within the moment of time represented by the present century has one species - man - acquired significant power to alter the nature of this world'. Globalization and explosive population growth have generated far-reaching environmental problems on a scale that humanity has never faced before. Fortunately, our species has also developed an unprecedented ability to provide science-based solutions. Since processes impacting the environment involve complex biological, physical, chemical and geological interactions and feedbacks, they require the integration of expertise from all these scientific disciplines as well as input from policy makers, social scientists, and economists. This talk presents four examples of current interdisciplinary research projects conducted in my lab, each one related to a theme from one of Carson's books (Under the Sea-wind, The Sea Around Us, The Edge of the Sea, and Silent Spring). These projects, and others like them, provide hope that we can move toward a sustainable relationship with the natural world by encouraging the best scientists to conduct interdisciplinary research with direct applications for environmental management and stewardship.

Providing Data Access for Interdisciplinary Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooper, R. P.; Couch, A.

2012-12-01

Developing an interdisciplinary understanding of human and environmental interactions with water requires access to a variety of data kinds collected by various organizations. The CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System (HIS) is a standards-based, services-oriented architecture designed for time-series data. Such data represents an important type of data in water studies. Through the efforts of HIS, a standard transmission language, WaterML2, has been adopted by the Open Geospatial Consortium and is under consideration by the World Meteorologic Organization as an international standards. Web services have also been developed to retrieve data and metadata. HIS is completed with a metadata catalog, hosted by San Diego Supercomputing Center, which indexes more than 20 million time series provided from over 90 different services. This catalog is supported through a hierarchically organized controlled vocabulary that is open for community input and mediation. Data publishers include federal agencies, universities, state agencies, and non-profit organizations such as watershed associations. Accessing data from such a broad spectrum of sources through a uniform service standard promises to truly transform the way in which hydrologic research is done. CUAHSI HIS is a large-scale prototype at this time, but a proposal is under consideration by the National Science Foundation to operationalize HIS through a data facility, tentatively called the CUAHSI Water Data Center. Establishing HIS is an important step to enable research into human-environment interactions with water, but it is only one step. Other data structures will need to be made accessible and interoperable to support this research. Some data—such as two-dimensional GIS coverages—already have widely used standards for transmission and sharing. The US Federal government has long operated a clearinghouse for federal geographic data that is now being augmented with other services such as ArcGIS OnLine. Other data

A Framework of Operating Models for Interdisciplinary Research Programs in Clinical Service Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Gillian; Currie, Melissa; Smith, Linda; Servais, Michelle; McDougall, Janette

2008-01-01

A framework of operating models for interdisciplinary research programs in clinical service organizations is presented, consisting of a "clinician-researcher" skill development model, a program evaluation model, a researcher-led knowledge generation model, and a knowledge conduit model. Together, these models comprise a tailored, collaborative…

Developing Interdisciplinary Workforce to Meet Future Aerospace Challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Misra, Ajay

2017-01-01

The presentation will focus on the importance of interdisciplinary research for addressing future aerospace challenges. Examples of current research activities at NASA's Glenn Research Center will be provided to illustrate the importance of interdisciplinary research. Challenges with conducting interdisciplinary research will be discussed.

Eclecticism as the foundation of meta-theoretical, mixed methods and interdisciplinary research in social sciences.

PubMed

Kroos, Karmo

2012-03-01

This article examines the value of "eclecticism" as the foundation of meta-theoretical, mixed methods and interdisciplinary research in social sciences. On the basis of the analysis of the historical background of the concept, it is first suggested that eclecticism-based theoretical scholarship in social sciences could benefit from the more systematic research method that has been developed for synthesizing theoretical works under the name metatheorizing. Second, it is suggested that the mixed methods community could base its research approach on philosophical eclecticism instead of pragmatism because the basic idea of eclecticism is much more in sync with the nature of the combined research tradition. Finally, the Kuhnian frame is used to support the argument for interdisciplinary research and, hence, eclecticism in social sciences (rather than making an argument against multiple paradigms). More particularly, it is suggested that integrating the different (inter)disciplinary traditions and schools into one is not necessarily desirable at all in social sciences because of the complexity and openness of the research field. If it is nevertheless attempted, experience in economics suggests that paradigmatic unification comes at a high price.

Demand for interdisciplinary laboratories for physiology research by undergraduate students in biosciences and biomedical engineering.

PubMed

Clase, Kari L; Hein, Patrick W; Pelaez, Nancy J

2008-12-01

Physiology as a discipline is uniquely positioned to engage undergraduate students in interdisciplinary research in response to the 2006-2011 National Science Foundation Strategic Plan call for innovative transformational research, which emphasizes multidisciplinary projects. To prepare undergraduates for careers that cross disciplinary boundaries, students need to practice interdisciplinary communication in academic programs that connect students in diverse disciplines. This report surveys policy documents relevant to this emphasis on interdisciplinary training and suggests a changing role for physiology courses in bioscience and engineering programs. A role for a physiology course is increasingly recommended for engineering programs, but the study of physiology from an engineering perspective might differ from the study of physiology as a basic science. Indeed, physiology laboratory courses provide an arena where biomedical engineering and bioscience students can apply knowledge from both fields while cooperating in multidisciplinary teams under specified technical constraints. Because different problem-solving approaches are used by students of engineering and bioscience, instructional innovations are needed to break down stereotypes between the disciplines and create an educational environment where interdisciplinary teamwork is used to bridge differences.

Learning to Be Interdisciplinary: An Action Research Approach to Boundary Spanning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munoz, Karen; Jeris, Laurel

2005-01-01

Objective: This study explored challenges and barriers that need to be addressed in a preprofessional educational setting to provide opportunities for boundary spanning that leads to family-centred interdisciplinary service provision. Design: The design employed in this study was participatory action research, an inductive approach. Setting: The…

Sustainable Control of Water-Related Infectious Diseases: A Review and Proposal for Interdisciplinary Health-Based Systems Research

PubMed Central

Batterman, Stuart; Eisenberg, Joseph; Hardin, Rebecca; Kruk, Margaret E.; Lemos, Maria Carmen; Michalak, Anna M.; Mukherjee, Bhramar; Renne, Elisha; Stein, Howard; Watkins, Cristy; Wilson, Mark L.

2009-01-01

Objective Even when initially successful, many interventions aimed at reducing the toll of water-related infectious disease have not been sustainable over longer periods of time. Here we review historical practices in water-related infectious disease research and propose an interdisciplinary public health oriented systems approach to research and intervention design. Data sources On the basis of the literature and the authors’ experiences, we summarize contributions from key disciplines and identify common problems and trends. Practices in developing countries, where the disease burden is the most severe, are emphasized. Data extraction We define waterborne and water-associated vectorborne diseases and identify disciplinary themes and conceptual needs by drawing from ecologic, anthropologic, engineering, political/economic, and public health fields. A case study examines one of the classes of water-related infectious disease. Data synthesis The limited success in designing sustainable interventions is attributable to factors that include the complexity and interactions among the social, ecologic, engineering, political/economic, and public health domains; incomplete data; a lack of relevant indicators; and most important, an inadequate understanding of the proximal and distal factors that cause water-related infectious disease. Fundamental change is needed for research on water-related infectious diseases, and we advocate a systems approach framework using an ongoing evidence-based health outcomes focus with an extended time horizon. The examples and case study in the review show many opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations, data fusion techniques, and other advances. Conclusions The proposed framework will facilitate research by addressing the complexity and divergent scales of problems and by engaging scientists in the disciplines needed to tackle these difficult problems. Such research can enhance the prevention and control of water

Building the Women's Health Research Workforce: Fostering Interdisciplinary Research Approaches in Women's Health

PubMed Central

Koch, Abby; Guimond, Jennifer M.; Glavin, Sarah; Geller, Stacie

2013-01-01

Background: The Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) program is a mentored institutional research career development program developed to support and foster the interdisciplinary research careers of men and women junior faculty in women's health and sex/gender factors. The number of scholars who apply for and receive National Institutes of Health (NIH) research or career development grants is one proximate indicator of whether the BIRCWH program is being successful in achieving its goals. Primary Study Objective: To present descriptive data on one metric of scholar performance—NIH grant application and funding rates. Methods/Design: Grant applications were counted if the start date was 12 months or more after the scholar's BIRCWH start date. Two types of measures were used for the outcome of interest—person-based funding rates and application-based success rates. Main Outcome Measures: Grant application, person funding, and application success rates. Results: Four hundred and ninety-three scholars had participated in BIRCWH as of November 1, 2012. Seventy-nine percent of BIRCWH scholars who completed training had applied for at least one competitive NIH grant, and 64% of those who applied had received at least one grant award. Approximately 68% of completed scholars applied for at least one research grant, and about half of those who applied were successful in obtaining at least one research award. Men and women had similar person funding rates, but women had higher application success rates for RoI grants. Limitations: Data were calculated for all scholars across a series of years; many variables can influence person funding and application success rates beyond the BIRCWH program; and lack of an appropriate comparison group is another substantial limitation to this analysis. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the BIRCWH program has been successful in bridging advanced training with establishing independent research careers

A Preliminary Investigation into the Challenges of Learning GIS in Interdisciplinary Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rickles, Patrick; Ellul, Claire

2015-01-01

A geographic information system (GIS) can be a valuable research tool, helping scientists understand location and bridge the gaps between subjects in interdisciplinary research (IDR), which has been promoted for its real-world solutions. However, a GIS can be difficult to use and may require understanding of a number of concepts as well as tools…

Astrobiology and society: building an interdisciplinary research community.

PubMed

Race, Margaret; Denning, Kathryn; Bertka, Constance M; Dick, Steven J; Harrison, Albert A; Impey, Christopher; Mancinelli, Rocco

2012-10-01

This paper reports recent efforts to gather experts from the humanities and social sciences along with astrobiologists to consider the cultural, societal, and psychological implications of astrobiology research and exploration. We began by convening a workshop to draft a research roadmap on astrobiology's societal implications and later formed a Focus Group on Astrobiology and Society under the auspices of the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI). Just as the Astrobiology Science Roadmap and various astrobiology science focus groups have helped researchers orient and understand their work across disciplinary contexts, our intent was to apply the same approach to examine areas beyond the physical and life sciences and expand interdisciplinary interaction and scholarly understanding. These efforts continue as an experiment in progress, with an open invitation to interested researchers-astrobiologists as well as scholars in the humanities and social sciences-to become involved in research, analysis, and proactive discussions concerning the potential impacts of astrobiology on society as well as the possible impacts of society on progress in astrobiology.

Enhancing Interdisciplinary Human System Risk Research Through Modeling and Network Approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mindock, Jennifer; Lumpkins, Sarah; Shelhamer, Mark

2015-01-01

NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) supports research to reduce human health and performance risks inherent in future human space exploration missions. Understanding risk outcomes and contributing factors in an integrated manner allows HRP research to support development of efficient and effective mitigations from cross-disciplinary perspectives, and to enable resilient human and engineered systems for spaceflight. The purpose of this work is to support scientific collaborations and research portfolio management by utilizing modeling for analysis and visualization of current and potential future interdisciplinary efforts.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration between Natural and Social Sciences - Status and Trends Exemplified in Groundwater Research.

PubMed

Barthel, Roland; Seidl, Roman

2017-01-01

Interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly between natural and social sciences, is perceived as crucial to solving the significant challenges facing humanity. However, despite the need for such collaboration being expressed more frequently and intensely, it remains unclear to what degree such collaboration actually takes place, what trends and developments there are and which actors are involved. Previous studies, often based on bibliometric analysis of large bodies of literature, partly observed an increase in interdisciplinary collaboration in general, but in particular, the collaboration among distant fields was less explored. Other more qualitative studies found that interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly between natural and social scientists was not well developed, and obstacles abounded. To shed some light on the actual status and developments of this collaboration, we performed an analysis based on a sample of articles on groundwater research. We first identified journals and articles therein that potentially combined natural and social science aspects of groundwater research. Next, we analysed the disciplinary composition of their authors' teams, cited references, titles and keywords, making use of our detailed personal expertise in groundwater research and its interdisciplinary aspects. We combined several indicators developed from this analysis into a final classification of the degree of multidisciplinarity of each article. Covering the period between 1990 and 2014, we found that the overall percentage of multidisciplinary articles was in the low single-digit range, with only slight increases over the past decades. The interdisciplinarity of individuals plays a major role compared to interdisciplinarity involving two or more researchers. If collaboration with natural sciences takes place, social science is represented most often by economists. As a side result, we found that journals publishing multidisciplinary research had lower impact

Building Interdisciplinary Research and Communication Skills in the Agricultural and Climate Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson-Maynard, J.; Borrelli, K.; Wolf, K.; Bernacchi, L.; Eigenbrode, S.; Daley Laursen, D.

2015-12-01

Preparing scientists and educators to create and promote practical science-based agricultural approaches to climate change adaptation and mitigation is a main focus of the Regional Approaches to Climate Change (REACCH) project. Social, political and environmental complexities and interactions require that future scientists work across disciplines rather than having isolated knowledge of one specific subject area. Additionally, it is important for graduate students earning M.S. or Ph.D. degrees in agriculture and climate sciences to be able to communicate scientific findings effectively to non-scientific audiences. Unfortunately, university graduate curricula rarely adequately prepare students with these important skills. REACCH recognizes the need for graduate students to have thorough exposure to other disciplines and to be able to communicate information for outreach and education purposes. These priorities have been incorporated into graduate training within the REACCH project. The interdisciplinary nature of the project and its sophisticated digital infrastructure provide graduate students multiple opportunities to gain these experiences. The project includes over 30 graduate students from 20 different disciplines and research foci including agronomy, biogeochemistry, soil quality, conservation tillage, hydrology, pest and beneficial organisms, economics, modeling, remote sensing, science education and climate science. Professional develop workshops were developed and held during annual project meetings to enhance student training. The "Toolbox" survey (http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/toolbox/) was used to achieve effective interdisciplinary communication. Interdisciplinary extension and education projects were required to allow students to gain experience with collaboration and working with stakeholder groups. Results of student surveys and rubrics developed to gauge success in interdisciplinary research and communication may provide a helpful starting point for

Place-Related Identities through Texts: From Interdisciplinary Theory to Research Agenda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charlton, Emma; Wyse, Dominic; Hodges, Gabrielle Cliff; Nikolajeva, Maria; Pointon, Pam; Taylor, Liz

2011-01-01

The implications of the transdisciplinary spatial turn are attracting growing interest in a broad range of areas related to education. This paper draws on a methodology for interdisciplinary thinking in order to articulate a new theoretical configuration of place-related identity, and its implications for a research agenda. The new configuration…

Interdisciplinary research: maintaining the constructive impulse in a culture of criticism

Treesearch

S.T.A. Pickett; William R. Burch; J. Morgan. Grove

1999-01-01

We approach the benefits and burdens of interdisciplinary research (IDR) from the perspective that science involves both constructive and critical approaches. The constructive aspect generates concepts, theories, and data to understand the observable world, while criticism tests the internal consistency of understanding and its fit to the observable world (Pickett and...

Transcending differences to study the transcendent: an exploratory study of researchers' and chaplains' reflections on interdisciplinary spiritual care research collaboration.

PubMed

Powell, Richard A; Emanuel, Linda; Handzo, George; Lantos, John; Dunn, Laura B; Idler, Ellen L; Wilkie, Diane J; Massey, Kevin; Summerfelt, William T; Barnes, Marilyn J D; Quest, Tammie E; Kestenbaum, Allison; Steinhauser, Karen; Fitchett, George; Zollfrank, Angelika; Olsen, Annette K; Balboni, Tracy A; Sommer, Dane

2015-04-18

Despite recognition of the centrality of professional board-certified chaplains (BCC) in palliative care, the discipline has little research to guide its practices. To help address this limitation, HealthCare Chaplaincy Network funded six proposals in which BCCs worked collaboratively with established researchers. Recognizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in the development of a new field, this paper reports on an exploratory study of project members' reflections over time on the benefits and challenges of conducting inter-disciplinary spiritual care research. Data collection occurred in two stages. Stage 1 entailed two independent, self-reflective focus groups, organized by professional discipline, mid-way through the site projects. Stage 2 entailed end-of-project site reports and a conference questionnaire. Eighteen professionals participated in the group discussions. Stage 1: researchers perceived chaplains as eager workers passionately committed to their patients and to research, and identified challenges faced by chaplains in learning to conduct research. Chaplains perceived researchers as passionate about their work, were concerned research might uncover negative findings for their profession, and sensed they used a dissimilar paradigm from their research colleagues regarding the 'ways of relating' to knowledge and understanding. Stage 2: researchers and chaplains noted important changes they ascribed to the interdisciplinary collaboration that were classified into six domains of cultural and philosophical understanding: respect; learning; discovery; creativity; fruitful partnerships; and learning needs. Chaplains and researchers initially expressed divergent perspectives on the research collaborations. During the projects' lifespans, these differences were acknowledged and addressed. Mutual appreciation for each discipline's strengths and contributions to inter-professional dialogue emerged.

Using integrated research and interdisciplinary science: Potential benefits and challenges to managers of parks and protected areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

van Riper, Charles; Powell, Robert B.; Machlis, Gary; van Wagtendonk, Jan W.; van Riper, Carena J.; von Ruschkowski, Eick; Schwarzbach, Steven E.; Galipeau, Russell E.

2012-01-01

Our purpose in this paper is to build a case for utilizing interdisciplinary science to enhance the management of parks and protected areas. We suggest that interdisciplinary science is necessary for dealing with the complex issues of contemporary resource management, and that using the best available integrated scientific information be embraced and supported at all levels of agencies that manage parks and protected areas. It will take the commitment of park managers, scientists, and agency leaders to achieve the goal of implementing the results of interdisciplinary science into park management. Although such calls go back at least several decades, today interdisciplinary science is sporadically being promoted as necessary for supporting effective protected area management(e.g., Machlis et al. 1981; Kelleher and Kenchington 1991). Despite this history, rarely has "interdisciplinary science" been defined, its importance explained, or guidance provided on how to translate and then implement the associated research results into management actions (Tress et al. 2006; Margles et al. 2010). With the extremely complex issues that now confront protected areas (e.g., climate change influences, extinctions and loss of biodiversity, human and wildlife demographic changes, and unprecedented human population growth) information from more than one scientific discipline will need to be brought to bear in order to achieve sustained management solutions that resonate with stakeholders (Ostrom 2009). Although interdisciplinary science is not the solution to all problems, we argue that interdisciplinary research is an evolving and widely supported best practice. In the case of park and protected area management, interdisciplinary science is being driven by the increasing recognition of the complexity and interconnectedness of human and natural systems, and the notion that addressing many problems can be more rapidly advanced through interdisciplinary study and analysis.

"Taking your place at the table": an autoethnographic study of chaplains' participation on an interdisciplinary research team.

PubMed

Kestenbaum, Allison; James, Jennifer; Morgan, Stefana; Shields, Michele; Hocker, Will; Rabow, Michael; Dunn, Laura B

2015-05-02

There are many potential benefits to chaplaincy in transforming into a "research-informed" profession. However little is known or has been documented about the roles of chaplains on research teams and as researchers or about the effects of research engagement on chaplains themselves. This report describes the experience and impact of three chaplains, as well as tensions and challenges that arose, on one particular interdisciplinary team researching a spiritual assessment model in palliative care. Transcripts of our research team meetings, which included the three active chaplain researchers, as well as reflections of all the members of the research team provide the data for this descriptive, qualitative, autoethnographic analysis. This autoethnographic project evolved from the parent study, entitled "Spiritual Assessment Intervention Model (AIM) in Outpatient Palliative Care Patients with Advanced Cancer." This project focused on the use of a well-developed model of spiritual care, the Spiritual Assessment and Intervention Model (Spiritual AIM). Transcripts of nine weekly team meetings for the parent study were reviewed. These parent study team meetings were attended by various disciplines and included open dialogue and intensive questions from non-chaplain team members to chaplains about their practices and Spiritual AIM. Individual notes (from reflexive memoing) and other reflections of team members were also reviewed for this report. The primary methodological framework for this paper, autoethnography, was not only used to describe the work of chaplains as researchers, but also to reflect on the process of researcher identity formation and offer personal insights regarding the challenges accompanying this process. Three major themes emerged from the autoethnographic analytic process: 1) chaplains' unique contributions to the research team; 2) the interplay between the chaplains' active research role and their work identities; and 3) tensions and challenges in

Surgically Facilitated Orthodontic Therapy: Optimizing Dentoalveolar Bone and Space Appropriation for Facially Prioritized Interdisciplinary Dentofacial Therapy.

PubMed

Mandelaris, George A; DeGroot, Bradley S; Relle, Robert; Shah, Brian; Huang, Iwei; Vence, Brian S

2018-03-01

Comorbidities that negatively impact orthodontic (malocclusion), periodontal (periodontitis, deficient dentoalveolar bone volume, mucogingival), and prosthetic (structural integrity compromise from caries, attrition, and erosion) conditions can affect the general health of the patient. In addition, emerging data highlights the importance of undiagnosed airway volume deficiencies and sleep-disordered breathing conditions in the adult and pediatric population. Deficiencies in dentoalveolar bone and discrepancies in skeletal relationships can impact the volume of hard- and soft-tissue structures of the periodontium and decrease oral cavity volume. Contemporary interdisciplinary dentofacial therapy (IDT) is a key process for addressing the comprehensive problems of patients based on etiology, homeostasis, and sustainability of physiologically sound outcomes. These provide the patient with sustainable esthetics and function. Surgically facilitated orthodontic therapy (SFOT) uses corticotomies and dentoalveolar bone decortication to stimulate the regional acceleratory phenomenon and upregulate bone remodeling and tooth movement as a part of orthodontic decompensation. It also generally includes guided periodontal tissue regeneration and/or dentoalveolar bone augmentation. SFOT as a part of IDT is demanding and requires extensive attentiveness and communication among all team members. This article focuses on the role of SFOT as an integral component of contemporary IDT to facilitate highly predictable and sustainable outcomes.

Facilitating interdisciplinary design specification of "smart" homes for aging in place.

PubMed

Demiris, George; Skubic, Marjorie; Rantz, Marilyn J; Courtney, Karen L; Aud, Myra A; Tyrer, Harry W; He, Zhihai; Lee, Jia

2006-01-01

"Smart homes" are defined as residences equipped with sensors and other advanced technology applications that enhance residents' independence and can be used for aging in place. The objective of this study is to determine design specifications for smart residences as defined by professional groups involved both in care delivery to senior citizens and development of devices and technologies to support aging. We assessed the importance of specific devices and sensors and their advantages and disadvantages as perceived by the interdisciplinary expert team. This work lays the ground for the implementation of smart home residencies and confirms that only an interdisciplinary design approach can address all the technical, clinical and human factors related challenges associated with home-based technologies that support aging. Our findings indicate that the use of adaptive technology that can be installed in the home environment has the potential to not only support but also empower individual senior users.

Mentoring interdisciplinary research teams for the study of sex and gender differences in health and disease.

PubMed

Miller, Virginia M; Bahn, Rebecca S

2013-09-01

Initiatives to hasten the translation of basic science discoveries to clinical care have necessitated the development of new approaches to interdisciplinary collaboration and training of future investigators. This has been nowhere more important than in the study of sex differences with implications for extension into areas of gender medicine. Clearly, gaining better understanding of the role that sex and gender play in health and disease is essential to the implementation of truly individualized medicine. This case report will describe our experiences in developing the Mayo Clinic Building Interdisciplinary Research Programs in Women's Health (BIRCWH) program, an interdisciplinary research and training program in women's health and sex and gender differences. We identify both our successes and the barriers we have encountered in order that others who are developing similar programs might benefit from our experiences.

Scientific retreats with 'speed dating': networking to stimulate new interdisciplinary translational research collaborations and team science.

PubMed

Ranwala, Damayanthi; Alberg, Anthony J; Brady, Kathleen T; Obeid, Jihad S; Davis, Randal; Halushka, Perry V

2017-02-01

To stimulate the formation of new interdisciplinary translational research teams and innovative pilot projects, the South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research (SCTR) Institute (South Carolina Clinical and Translational Science Award, CTSA) initiated biannual scientific retreats with 'speed dating' networking sessions. Retreat themes were prioritized based on the following criteria; cross-cutting topic, unmet medical need, generation of novel technologies and methodologies. Each retreat begins with an external keynote speaker followed by a series of brief research presentations by local researchers focused on the retreat theme, articulating potential areas for new collaborations. After each session of presentations, there is a 30 min scientific 'speed dating' period during which the presenters meet with interested attendees to exchange ideas and discuss collaborations. Retreat attendees are eligible to compete for pilot project funds on the topic of the retreat theme. The 10 retreats held have had a total of 1004 participants, resulted in 61 pilot projects with new interdisciplinary teams, and 14 funded projects. The retreat format has been a successful mechanism to stimulate novel interdisciplinary research teams and innovative translational research projects. Future retreats will continue to target topics of cross-cutting importance to biomedical and public health research. Copyright © 2016 American Federation for Medical Research.

Students' attitudes towards interdisciplinary education: a course on interdisciplinary aspects of science and engineering education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gero, Aharon

2017-05-01

A course entitled 'Science and Engineering Education: Interdisciplinary Aspects' was designed to expose undergraduate students of science and engineering education to the attributes of interdisciplinary education which integrates science and engineering. The core of the course is an interdisciplinary lesson, which each student is supposed to teach his/her peers. Sixteen students at advanced stages of their studies attended the course. The research presented here used qualitative instruments to characterise students' attitudes towards interdisciplinary learning and teaching of science and engineering. According to the findings, despite the significant challenge which characterises interdisciplinary teaching, a notable improvement was evident throughout the course in the percentage of students who expressed willingness to teach interdisciplinary classes in future.

Interdisciplinary mixed methods research with structurally vulnerable populations: case studies of injection drug users in San Francisco.

PubMed

Lopez, Andrea M; Bourgois, Philippe; Wenger, Lynn D; Lorvick, Jennifer; Martinez, Alexis N; Kral, Alex H

2013-03-01

Research with injection drug users (IDUs) benefits from interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological innovation because drug use is illegal, socially sanctioned and often hidden. Despite the increasing visibility of interdisciplinary, mixed methods research projects with IDUs, qualitative components are often subordinated to quantitative approaches and page restrictions in top addiction journals limit detailed reports of complex data collection and analysis logistics, thus minimizing the fuller scientific potential of genuine mixed methods. We present the methodological logistics and conceptual approaches of four mixed-methods research projects that our interdisciplinary team conducted in San Francisco with IDUs over the past two decades. These projects include combinations of participant-observation ethnography, in-depth qualitative interviewing, epidemiological surveys, photo-documentation, and geographic mapping. We adapted Greene et al.'s framework for combining methods in a single research project through: data triangulation, methodological complementarity, methodological initiation, and methodological expansion. We argue that: (1) flexible and self-reflexive methodological procedures allowed us to seize strategic opportunities to document unexpected and sometimes contradictory findings as they emerged to generate new research questions, (2) iteratively mixing methods increased the scope, reliability, and generalizability of our data, and (3) interdisciplinary collaboration contributed to a scientific "value added" that allowed for more robust theoretical and practical findings about drug use and risk-taking. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interdisciplinary Mixed Methods Research with Structurally Vulnerable Populations: Case Studies of Injection Drug Users in San Francisco

PubMed Central

Lopez, Andrea; Bourgois, Philippe; Wenger, Lynn; Lorvick, Jennifer; Martinez, Alexis; Kral, Alex H.

2013-01-01

Research with injection drug users (IDUs) benefits from interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological innovation because drug use is illegal, socially sanctioned and often hidden. Despite the increasing visibility of interdisciplinary, mixed methods research projects with IDUs, qualitative components are often subordinated to quantitative approaches and page restrictions in top addiction journals limit detailed reports of complex data collection and analysis logistics, thus minimizing the fuller scientific potential of genuine mixed methods. We present the methodological logistics and conceptual approaches of four mixed-methods research projects that our interdisciplinary team conducted in San Francisco with IDUs over the past two decades. These projects include combinations of participant-observation ethnography, in-depth qualitative interviewing, epidemiological surveys, photo-documentation, and geographic mapping. We adapted Greene et al.’s framework for combining methods in a single research project through: data triangulation, methodological complementarity, methodological initiation, and methodological expansion. We argue that: (1) flexible and self-reflexive methodological procedures allowed us to seize strategic opportunities to document unexpected and sometimes contradictory findings as they emerged to generate new research questions, (2) iteratively mixing methods increased the scope, reliability, and generalizability of our data, and (3) interdisciplinary collaboration contributed to a scientific “value added” that allowed for more robust theoretical and practical findings about drug use and risk-taking. PMID:23312109

Tour Brookhaven Lab's Future Hub for Energy Research: The Interdisciplinary Science Building

ScienceCinema

Gerry Stokes; Jim Misewich; Caradonna, Peggy; Sullivan, John; Olsen, Jim

2018-04-16

Construction is under way for the Interdisciplinary Science Building (ISB), a future world-class facility for energy research at Brookhaven Lab. Meet two scientists who will develop solutions at the ISB to tackle some of the nation's energy challenges, and tour the construction site.

Scaffolding the Science: Problem Based Strategies for Teaching Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keebaugh, Alaine; Darrow, Lyndsey; Tan, David; Jamerson, Heather

2009-01-01

Previous research has highlighted the effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in multiple disciplinary settings, including medicine, teacher education, business, allied health, and the social sciences. Yet interdisciplinary educators have very little information about how to implement PBL in classrooms where multiple disciplines are…

NEXUS/Physics: An interdisciplinary repurposing of physics for biologists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redish, E. F.; Bauer, C.; Carleton, K. L.; Cooke, T. J.; Cooper, M.; Crouch, C. H.; Dreyfus, B. W.; Geller, B. D.; Giannini, J.; Gouvea, J. S.; Klymkowsky, M. W.; Losert, W.; Moore, K.; Presson, J.; Sawtelle, V.; Thompson, K. V.; Turpen, C.; Zia, R. K. P.

2014-05-01

In response to increasing calls for the reform of the undergraduate science curriculum for life science majors and pre-medical students (Bio2010, Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians, Vision & Change), an interdisciplinary team has created NEXUS/Physics: a repurposing of an introductory physics curriculum for the life sciences. The curriculum interacts strongly and supportively with introductory biology and chemistry courses taken by life-science students, with the goal of helping students build general, multi-discipline scientific competencies. NEXUS/Physics stresses interdisciplinary examples and the content differs markedly from traditional introductory physics to facilitate this: it extends the discussion of energy to include interatomic potentials and chemical reactions, the discussion of thermodynamics to include enthalpy and Gibbs free energy and includes a serious discussion of random vs coherent motion including diffusion. The development of instructional materials is coordinated with careful education research. Both the new content and the results of the research are described in a series of papers for which this paper serves as an overview and context.

Antecedents and near-term consequences for interdisciplinary dissertators.

PubMed

Kniffin, Kevin M; Hanks, Andrew S

2017-01-01

Given the complexity of questions studied by academicians, institutions are increasingly encouraging interdisciplinary research to tackle these problems; however, neither the individual-level pathways leading to the pursuit of interdisciplinary research nor the resulting market outcomes have been closely examined. In this study, we focus attention on the individuals who complete interdisciplinary dissertations to ask "who are they and how do they fare after earning the PhD?" Since interdisciplinary research is known to be relatively risky among academics, we examine demographic variables that are known to be associated in other contexts with risk-taking before considering whether interdisciplinarians' outcomes are different upon graduating. First among our three main findings, students whose fathers earned a college degree demonstrated a 1.3% higher probability of pursuing interdisciplinary research. Second, the probability that non-citizens pursue interdisciplinary dissertation work is 4.6% higher when compared with US citizens. Third, individuals who complete an interdisciplinary dissertation tend to earn approximately 2% less in the year after graduation; however, mediation analyses show that the decision to become a postdoctoral researcher accounts for the apparent salary penalty. Our findings shed light on the antecedents and near-term consequences for individuals who complete interdisciplinary dissertations and contribute to broader policy debates concerning supports for academic career paths.

Acquisition of a Multi-Domain Advanced Real-Time Simulator to Support DoD-focused Interdisciplinary Research at CSUB

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-17

Report: Acquisition of a Multi-Domain Advanced Real- Time Simulator to Support DoD-focused Interdisciplinary Research at CSUB The views, opinions and...reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions...University - Bakersfield Title: Acquisition of a Multi-Domain Advanced Real- Time Simulator to Support DoD-focused Interdisciplinary Research at CSUB Report

Interdisciplinary Collaboration between Natural and Social Sciences – Status and Trends Exemplified in Groundwater Research

PubMed Central

Seidl, Roman

2017-01-01

Interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly between natural and social sciences, is perceived as crucial to solving the significant challenges facing humanity. However, despite the need for such collaboration being expressed more frequently and intensely, it remains unclear to what degree such collaboration actually takes place, what trends and developments there are and which actors are involved. Previous studies, often based on bibliometric analysis of large bodies of literature, partly observed an increase in interdisciplinary collaboration in general, but in particular, the collaboration among distant fields was less explored. Other more qualitative studies found that interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly between natural and social scientists was not well developed, and obstacles abounded. To shed some light on the actual status and developments of this collaboration, we performed an analysis based on a sample of articles on groundwater research. We first identified journals and articles therein that potentially combined natural and social science aspects of groundwater research. Next, we analysed the disciplinary composition of their authors’ teams, cited references, titles and keywords, making use of our detailed personal expertise in groundwater research and its interdisciplinary aspects. We combined several indicators developed from this analysis into a final classification of the degree of multidisciplinarity of each article. Covering the period between 1990 and 2014, we found that the overall percentage of multidisciplinary articles was in the low single-digit range, with only slight increases over the past decades. The interdisciplinarity of individuals plays a major role compared to interdisciplinarity involving two or more researchers. If collaboration with natural sciences takes place, social science is represented most often by economists. As a side result, we found that journals publishing multidisciplinary research had lower impact

Social Network Analysis to Evaluate an Interdisciplinary Research Center

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aboelela, Sally W.; Merrill, Jacqueline A.; Carley, Kathleen M.; Larson, Elaine

2007-01-01

We sought to examine the growth of an interdisciplinary center using social network analysis techniques. Specific aims were to examine the patterns of growth and interdisciplinary connectedness of the Center and to identify the social network characteristics of its productive members. The setting for this study was The Center for Interdisciplinary…

Scientific Retreats with ‘Speed Dating’: Networking to Stimulate New Interdisciplinary Translational Research Collaborations and Team Science

PubMed Central

Alberg, Anthony J.; Brady, Kathleen T.; Obeid, Jihad S.; Davis, Randal; Halushka, Perry V.

2016-01-01

To stimulate the formation of new interdisciplinary translational research teams and innovative pilot projects, the South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research (SCTR) Institute (South Carolina Clinical and Translational Science Award, CTSA) initiated biannual scientific retreats with “speed dating” networking sessions. Retreat themes were prioritized based on the following criteria; cross-cutting topic, unmet medical need, generation of novel technologies and methodologies. Each retreat commences with an external keynote speaker followed by a series of brief research presentations by local researchers focused on the retreat theme, articulating potential areas for new collaborations. After each session of presentations, there is a 30 minute scientific “speed dating” period during which the presenters meet with interested attendees to exchange ideas and discuss collaborations. Retreat attendees are eligible to compete for pilot project funds on the topic of the retreat theme. The 10 retreats held have had a total of 1004 participants, resulted in 61 pilot projects with new interdisciplinary teams, and 14 funded projects. The retreat format has been a successful mechanism to stimulate novel interdisciplinary research teams and innovative translational research projects. Future retreats will continue to target topics of cross-cutting importance to biomedical and public health research. PMID:27807146

Longitudinal data for interdisciplinary ageing research. Design of the Linnaeus Database.

PubMed

Malmberg, Gunnar; Nilsson, Lars-Göran; Weinehall, Lars

2010-11-01

To allow for interdisciplinary research on the relations between socioeconomic conditions and health in the ageing population, a new anonymized longitudinal database - the Linnaeus Database - has been developed at the Centre for Population Studies at Umeå University. This paper presents the database and its research potential. Using the Swedish personal numbers the researchers have, in collaboration with Statistics Sweden and the National Board for Health and Welfare, linked individual records from Swedish register data on death causes, hospitalization and various socioeconomic conditions with two databases - Betula and VIP (Västerbottens Intervention Programme) - previously developed by the researchers at Umeå University. Whereas Betula includes rich information about e.g. cognitive functions, VIP contains information about e.g. lifestyle and health indicators. The Linnaeus Database includes annually updated socioeconomic information from Statistics Sweden registers for all registered residents of Sweden for the period 1990 to 2006, in total 12,066,478. The information from the Betula includes 4,500 participants from the city of Umeå and VIP includes data for almost 90,000 participants. Both datasets include cross-sectional as well as longitudinal information. Due to the coverage and rich information, the Linnaeus Database allows for a variety of longitudinal studies on the relations between, for instance, socioeconomic conditions, health, lifestyle, cognition, family networks, migration and working conditions in ageing cohorts. By joining various datasets developed in different disciplinary traditions new possibilities for interdisciplinary research on ageing emerge.

The adoption of an interdisciplinary instructional model in secondary education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misicko, Martin W.

This study describes the experiences of a secondary high school involved in the adoption of an interdisciplinary curriculum. An interdisciplinary curriculum is defined as both the precalculus and physics curriculums taught collaboratively throughout the school year. The students' academic performances were analyzed to gage the success of the interdisciplinary model. The four year study compared students taught precalculus in a traditional discipline-based classroom versus those facilitated in an interdisciplinary precalculus/physics model. It also documents the administrative changes necessary in restructuring a high school to an interdisciplinary team teaching model. All of the students in both pedagogical models received instruction from the same teacher, and were given identical assessment materials. Additionally, the curriculum guidelines and standards of learning were duplicated for both models. The primary difference of the two models focused on the applications of mathematics in the physics curriculum. Prerequisite information was compared in both models to ensure that the students in the study had comparable qualifications prior to the facilitation of the precalculus curriculum. Common trends were analyzed and discussed from the student's performance data. The students enrolled in the interdisciplinary model appeared to outperform the discipline-based students in common evaluative assessments. The themes and outcomes described in this study provide discussion topics for further investigation by other school districts. Further study is necessary to determine whether scheduling changes may have influenced student performances, and to examine whether other content areas may experience similar results.

Students' Perception of Interdisciplinary, Problem-Based Learning in a Food Biotechnology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ng, Betsy L. L.; Yap, Kueh C.; Hoh, Yin K.

2011-01-01

Abstract: Students' perception of 8 criteria (rationale of the problem; interdisciplinary learning; facilitator asked essential questions; learner's skills; assessments; facilitation procedures; team's use of resources [team collaboration], and facilitator within a problem-based learning context) were assessed for a food biotechnology course that…

Road safety and simulation conferences: an interdisciplinary network for safer roads.

PubMed

Benedetto, Andrea; Calvi, Alessandro

2014-06-01

From 23rd to 25th October 2013 more than 300 researchers attended the 4th International Conference on Road Safety and Simulation (RSS 2013) in Rome, Italy, hosted by the Inter Universities Research Centre for Road Safety (CRISS) at the Department of Engineering of Roma Tre University. The aim of the Conference was to create a common interdisciplinary arena for researchers and professionals involved in road safety, facilitate the exchange of know-how and progress in the last advanced techniques, methods and tools and their applications to safety analysis. This special issue highlights some of the research presented at the Conference. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interdisciplinary Research Education in Communication and Social Interaction Among Healthy Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scialfa, Charles T.; Pichora-Fuller, Kathleen; Spadafora, Pat

2004-01-01

An innovative gerontology education program was developed to advance research on aging that is interdisciplinary and promotes the translation of knowledge from lab to life. The program focuses on communication and social interaction in healthy aging. It brings together faculty mentors, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows from six…

Interdisciplinary Research Education in Communication and Social Interaction among Healthy Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scialfa, Charles; Pichora-Fuller, Kathleen; Spadafora, Pat

2004-01-01

An innovative gerontology education program was developed to advance research on aging that is interdisciplinary and promotes the translation of knowledge from lab to life. The program focuses on communication and social interaction in healthy aging. It brings together faculty mentors, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows from six…

How interdisciplinary is nanotechnology?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porter, Alan L.; Youtie, Jan

2009-07-01

Facilitating cross-disciplinary research has attracted much attention in recent years, with special concerns in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Although policy discourse has emphasized that nanotechnology is substantively integrative, some analysts have countered that it is really a loose amalgam of relatively traditional pockets of physics, chemistry, and other disciplines that interrelate only weakly. We are developing empirical measures to gauge and visualize the extent and nature of interdisciplinary interchange. Such results speak to research organization, funding, and mechanisms to bolster knowledge transfer. In this study, we address the nature of cross-disciplinary linkages using "science overlay maps" of articles, and their references, that have been categorized into subject categories. We find signs that the rate of increase in nano research is slowing, and that its composition is changing (for one, increasing chemistry-related activity). Our results suggest that nanotechnology research encompasses multiple disciplines that draw knowledge from disciplinarily diverse knowledge sources. Nano research is highly, and increasingly, integrative—but so is much of science these days. Tabulating and mapping nano research activity show a dominant core in materials sciences, broadly defined. Additional analyses and maps show that nano research draws extensively upon knowledge presented in other areas; it is not constricted within narrow silos.

University Interdisciplinary Research Organizations in the Process of Collaborative Innovation: Advantages, Difficulties and Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bi Ying; Yang, Liansheng

2015-01-01

Under the background of collaborative innovation, interdisciplinary research organizations due to its structural advantages should actively target frontier science and the great needs of national development, key research and strategic issues of solving the country's need, prospective issues in the frontier of science and technology and major…

Astrobiology and Society: Building an Interdisciplinary Research Community

PubMed Central

Denning, Kathryn; Bertka, Constance M.; Dick, Steven J.; Harrison, Albert A.; Impey, Christopher; Mancinelli, Rocco

2012-01-01

Abstract This paper reports recent efforts to gather experts from the humanities and social sciences along with astrobiologists to consider the cultural, societal, and psychological implications of astrobiology research and exploration. We began by convening a workshop to draft a research roadmap on astrobiology's societal implications and later formed a Focus Group on Astrobiology and Society under the auspices of the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI). Just as the Astrobiology Science Roadmap and various astrobiology science focus groups have helped researchers orient and understand their work across disciplinary contexts, our intent was to apply the same approach to examine areas beyond the physical and life sciences and expand interdisciplinary interaction and scholarly understanding. These efforts continue as an experiment in progress, with an open invitation to interested researchers—astrobiologists as well as scholars in the humanities and social sciences—to become involved in research, analysis, and proactive discussions concerning the potential impacts of astrobiology on society as well as the possible impacts of society on progress in astrobiology. Key Words: Astrobiology—Extraterrestrial life—Life detection. Astrobiology 12, 958–965. PMID:23046203

Desegregating undergraduate mathematics and biology--interdisciplinary instruction with emphasis on ongoing biomedical research.

PubMed

Robeva, Raina

2009-01-01

The remarkable advances in the field of biology in the last decade, specifically in the areas of biochemistry, genetics, genomics, proteomics, and systems biology, have demonstrated how critically important mathematical models and methods are in addressing questions of vital importance for these disciplines. There is little doubt that the need for utilizing and developing mathematical methods for biology research will only grow in the future. The rapidly increasing demand for scientists with appropriate interdisciplinary skills and knowledge, however, is not being reflected in the way undergraduate mathematics and biology courses are structured and taught in most colleges and universities nationwide. While a number of institutions have stepped forward and addressed this need by creating and offering interdisciplinary courses at the juncture of mathematics and biology, there are still many others at which there is little, if any, interdisciplinary interaction between the curricula. This chapter describes an interdisciplinary course and a textbook in mathematical biology developed collaboratively by faculty from Sweet Briar College and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. The course and textbook are designed to provide a bridge between the mathematical and biological sciences at the lower undergraduate level. The course is developed for and is being taught in a liberal arts setting at Sweet Briar College, Virginia, but some of the advanced modules are used in a course at the University of Virginia for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students. The individual modules are relatively independent and can be used as stand-alone projects in conventional mathematics and biology courses. Except for the introductory material, the course and textbook topics are based on current biomedical research.

An interdisciplinary approach to teaching in a multi-disciplinary context - A model for teaching geociences?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salmun, H.

2015-12-01

As a major component of an NSF-funded STEM program, a seminar-style course called the Catalyst Seminar was developed and offered over three consecutive semesters. The program included undergraduate students in the geosciences, computer science, mathematics and physics. The Catalyst Seminar was designed to expose scholars to the interdisciplinary research options and careers in these disciplines. The Seminar also provided a venue for scholars to meet regularly, build a sense of community and to engage in research projects that would enhance their preparation for multi and interdisciplinary careers in the sciences. The first semester of the Seminar was devoted to Exposure and Connections, accomplished through lectures by invited speakers on topics related to the disciplines participating in the Program. Scholars were required to read journal articles related to the lectures and to write a final short paper reflecting on the experience, all activities that are known to students at this level. Overall, this was a somewhat passive learning approach to research in classrooms. In the following two semesters a more active approach to engage students in interdisciplinary research was used. Students were asked to take ownership of their learning process through disciplinary and interdisciplinary engagement in a project. In one semester this process was guided by the seminar coordinator who was in charge of selecting and leading the 'research project' which although challenging to scholars, was 'safe' enough that answers were readily available. In the other semester the approach was student-centered, with a coordinator that merely facilitated the formation of interdisciplinary research teams that took complete charge of the entire research enterprise. I will discuss our observations and assessment of the outcomes of this instructional experience with relation to the teaching of geoscience, in particular to attracting students into this field.

Interdisciplinary knowledge exchange across scales in a globally changing marine environment.

PubMed

McDonald, Karlie S; Hobday, Alistair J; Fulton, Elizabeth A; Thompson, Peter A

2018-07-01

The effects of anthropogenic global environmental change on biotic and abiotic processes have been reported in aquatic systems across the world. Complex synergies between concurrent environmental stressors and the resilience of the system to regime shifts, which vary in space and time, determine the capacity for marine systems to maintain structure and function with global environmental change. Consequently, an interdisciplinary approach that facilitates the development of new methods for the exchange of knowledge between scientists across multiple scales is required to effectively understand, quantify and predict climate impacts on marine ecosystem services. We use a literature review to assess the limitations and assumptions of current pathways to exchange interdisciplinary knowledge and the transferability of research findings across spatial and temporal scales and levels of biological organization to advance scientific understanding of global environmental change in marine systems. We found that species-specific regional scale climate change research is most commonly published, and "supporting" is the ecosystem service most commonly referred to in publications. In addition, our paper outlines a trajectory for the future development of integrated climate change science for sustaining marine ecosystem services such as investment in interdisciplinary education and connectivity between disciplines. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Coastal Fog As a System: Defining an Interdisciplinary Research Agenda (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weathers, K. C.

2013-12-01

Fog is a graphic and charismatic phenomenon that is commonplace in coastal geographies around the globe. Some of the first concerns about fog and human health arose over 50 years ago in foggy cities around the world, such as London and Los Angeles, where thousands of excess deaths have been attributed to the presence of acidic fog particles. Further, the mere presence of fog also results in airplane, ship, and automobile traffic delays and accidents, especially in coastal areas. In many Pacific coastal systems, fog is the primary--sometimes the only--source of water, it is a fundamental moderator of local and regional climate, and it influences productivity of near-coast ecosystems. In recent years fog has been identified as a vector for limiting nutrients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus), pollutants (e.g., mercury), and microbes (including human pathogens), all of whose origin is thought to be biologically controlled in the ocean. Researchers have also started inquiring into the importance of fog in modulating weather as well as local, regional and, global climate dynamics. However, from its formation in marine systems to deposition in terrestrial systems, understanding the fog system is an intellectual and interdisciplinary challenge that, to date, has gone unmet. This is in part because the fog system is complex: it involves feedbacks and coupling between physical, chemical, and biological systems in the ocean, atmosphere, and near-coast terrestrial systems. In addition, its formation is the result of global processes, yet its distribution as well as its impacts are local, and extremely spatially and temporally heterogeneous within and across landscapes. Here we describe a systems approach and framework for understanding the controls on fog formation as well as feedbacks to its formation, dissipation, distribution, flows, and stocks or pools. In addition, an interdisciplinary research agenda for coastal fog as a system will be described based on the outcome of a

Supporting Interdisciplinary Collaboration Through Reusable Free Software. A Research Student Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimech, C.

2013-12-01

In this contribution, I present a critical evaluation of my experience as a research student conducting an interdisciplinary project that bridges the world of geoscience with that of astronomy. The major challenge consists in studying and modifying existing geophysical software to work with synthetic solar data not obtained by direct measurement but useful for testing and evaluation, and data released from the satellite HINODE and the Solar Dynamics Observatory. I have been fortunate to collaborate closely with multiple geoscientists keen to share their software codes and help me understand their implementations so I can extend the methodology to solve problems in solar physics. Moreover, two additional experiences have helped me develop my research and collaborative skills. First was an opportunity to involve an undergraduate student, and secondly, my participation at the GNU Hackers Meeting in Paris. Three aspects that need particular attention to enhance the collective productivity of any group of individuals keen to extend existing codes to achieve further interdisciplinary goals have been identified. (1) The production of easily reusable code that users can study and modify even when large sets of computations are involved. (2) The transformation of solutions into tools that are 100% free software. (3) The harmonisation of collaborative interactions that effectively tackle the two aforementioned tasks. Each one will be discussed in detail during this session based on my experience as a research student.

Demand for Interdisciplinary Laboratories for Physiology Research by Undergraduate Students in Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clase, Kari L.; Hein, Patrick W.; Pelaez, Nancy J.

2008-01-01

Physiology as a discipline is uniquely positioned to engage undergraduate students in interdisciplinary research in response to the 2006-2011 National Science Foundation Strategic Plan call for innovative transformational research, which emphasizes multidisciplinary projects. To prepare undergraduates for careers that cross disciplinary…

Disciplinary Foundations for Solving Interdisciplinary Scientific Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Dongmei; Shen, Ji

2015-01-01

Problem-solving has been one of the major strands in science education research. But much of the problem-solving research has been conducted on discipline-based contexts; little research has been done on how students, especially individuals, solve interdisciplinary problems. To understand how individuals reason about interdisciplinary problems, we…

Legacy model integration for enhancing hydrologic interdisciplinary research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dozier, A.; Arabi, M.; David, O.

2013-12-01

Many challenges are introduced to interdisciplinary research in and around the hydrologic science community due to advances in computing technology and modeling capabilities in different programming languages, across different platforms and frameworks by researchers in a variety of fields with a variety of experience in computer programming. Many new hydrologic models as well as optimization, parameter estimation, and uncertainty characterization techniques are developed in scripting languages such as Matlab, R, Python, or in newer languages such as Java and the .Net languages, whereas many legacy models have been written in FORTRAN and C, which complicates inter-model communication for two-way feedbacks. However, most hydrologic researchers and industry personnel have little knowledge of the computing technologies that are available to address the model integration process. Therefore, the goal of this study is to address these new challenges by utilizing a novel approach based on a publish-subscribe-type system to enhance modeling capabilities of legacy socio-economic, hydrologic, and ecologic software. Enhancements include massive parallelization of executions and access to legacy model variables at any point during the simulation process by another program without having to compile all the models together into an inseparable 'super-model'. Thus, this study provides two-way feedback mechanisms between multiple different process models that can be written in various programming languages and can run on different machines and operating systems. Additionally, a level of abstraction is given to the model integration process that allows researchers and other technical personnel to perform more detailed and interactive modeling, visualization, optimization, calibration, and uncertainty analysis without requiring deep understanding of inter-process communication. To be compatible, a program must be written in a programming language with bindings to a common

Interdisciplinary Common Ground: Techniques and Attentional Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arvidson, P. Sven

2014-01-01

Common ground in the interdisciplinary research process is the pivot from disciplinary to interdisciplinary perspective. As thinking moves from disciplinary to interdisciplinary, what is the shape or structure of attention, how does intellectual content transform in the attending process? Four common ground techniques--extension, redefinition,…

Developing and Using Interdisciplinary Case Studies in Teaching Geriatrics to Practicing Health Care Professionals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Norma J.; Padula, Cynthia A.; Hume, Anne L.

2002-01-01

Interdisciplinary clinical case studies in geriatrics were developed using active and problem-based learning approaches that simulate clinical environments. Feedback from their use in continuing education indicated that facilitators need interdisciplinary group skills, well-written discussion questions enhanced learning, and the presence of all…

The Direction and Autonomy of Interdisciplinary Study and Research Paths in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasmussen, Klaus

2016-01-01

This paper presents a case study of didactic infrastructures to direct Study and Research Paths (SRP) in teacher education within the context of interdisciplinary inquiry. The disciplines of school mathematics and school biology, and their didactics, are made to interconnect through the investigation of a generating question concerning the illness…

Planning, Teaching, and Assessing Elementary Education Interdisciplinary Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Cynthia; Henning, Mary Beth

2010-01-01

This paper describes an innovative teaching collaboration between two university professors to prepare undergraduate preservice teachers for planning, designing, and assessing interdisciplinary curriculum. Specifically, we were interested in whether deliberate efforts to integrate social studies and assessment methods courses would facilitate our…

Bridging the Gap: A Research-Based Approach for Teaching Interdisciplinary Science to Undergraduate Freshman Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sales, Jessica; Comeau, Dawn; Liddle, Kathleen; Khanna, Nikki; Perrone, Lisa; Palmer, Katrina; Lynn, David

2006-01-01

A new program, On Recent Discoveries by Emory Researchers (ORDER), has been developed as a bridge across the ever-widening gap between graduate and undergraduate education in the sciences. This bridge is created by merging the needs of graduate/postdoctoral students to educate more interdisciplinary scholars about their research discoveries with…

Interdisciplinary Best Practices for Adapted Physical Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Szostak, Rick

2016-01-01

This article provides an introduction to the literature on interdisciplinary research. It then draws lessons from that literature for the field of adapted physical activity. It is argued that adapted physical activity should be a self-consciously interdisciplinary field. It should insist that research be performed according to recognized…

[Quality development within interdisciplinary transgender healthcare : Results and implications of a participatory research project].

PubMed

Nieder, Timo O; Köhler, Andreas; Eyssel, Jana; Briken, Peer

2017-09-01

Both internationally and nationally, the objective has been set to offer specialized, coordinated, and interdisciplinary treatment to individuals with rare clinical needs, such as trans individuals (e. g., transsexual, transgender). The Interdisciplinary Transgender Health Care Center Hamburg (ITHCCH) is the first and only center in Germany to integrate all disciplines relevant to trans healthcare (THC).The research project seeks to generate valid information to support quality development and assure high-quality treatment at the ITHCCH. This was done by (a) investigating needs and concerns of trans individuals regarding interdisciplinary THC, and (b) analyzing attitudes and interests of key stakeholders.Using a participatory approach involving a work group (representatives of trans support groups and local THC professionals), researchers developed an online survey focusing on trans individuals' needs and concerns. Data from N = 415 trans-identified participants were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. In addition, a short survey was used to record key stakeholders' attitudes and interests towards the ITHCCH.Healthcare offers accessed by trans individuals as part of transition related treatment vary in focus and number. For example, take-up numbers of genital surgery differ between binary and non-binary trans individuals. Crucial aspects impacting on THC quality are structural characteristics, communication/social aspects, individuality, and professionalism/quality.To ensure successful, high-quality interdisciplinary THC, feedback from (potential) patients and stakeholders is crucial. In addition, both structural development and optimizing individuality and flexibility throughout the treatment process are key. This poses a considerable challenge to the sector of THC provision.

[Integration of sex/gender into environmental health research. Results of the interdisciplinary research network Sex/Gender-Environment-Health (GeUmGe-NET)].

PubMed

Bolte, Gabriele; David, Madlen; Dębiak, Małgorzata; Fiedel, Lotta; Hornberg, Claudia; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Kraus, Ute; Lätzsch, Rebecca; Paeck, Tatjana; Palm, Kerstin; Schneider, Alexandra

2018-06-01

The comprehensive consideration of sex/gender in health research is essential to increase relevance and validity of research results. Contrary to other areas of health research, there is no systematic summary of the current state of research on the significance of sex/gender in environmental health. Within the interdisciplinary research network Sex/Gender-Environment-Health (GeUmGe-NET) the current state of integration of sex/gender aspects or, respectively, gender theoretical concepts into research was systematically assessed within selected topics of the research areas environmental toxicology, environmental medicine, environmental epidemiology and public health research on environment and health. Knowledge gaps and research needs were identified in all research areas. Furthermore, the potential for methodological advancements by using gender theoretical concepts was depicted. A dialogue between biomedical research, public health research, and gender studies was started with the research network GeUmGe-NET. This dialogue has to be continued particularly regarding a common testing of methodological innovations in data collection and data analysis. Insights of this interdisciplinary research are relevant for practice areas such as environmental health protection, health promotion, environmental justice, and environmental health monitoring.

PREFACE: Asia-Pacific Interdisciplinary Research Conference 2011 (AP-IRC 2011)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandhu, Adarsh; Okada, Hiroshi; Maekawa, Toru; Okano, Ken

2012-03-01

AP-IRC Logo Scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and policymakers gather at the first truly interdisciplinary conference held in Asia-Pacific http://www.apirc.jp/ The inaugural Asia-Pacific Interdisciplinary Research Conference 2011 (AP-IRC 2011) was held at Toyohashi University of Technology (Toyohashi Tech) on 17-18 November 2011. The conference is a forum for enhancing mutual understanding between scientists, engineers, policymakers and experts from a wide spectrum of pure and applied sciences, to resolve the daunting global issues facing mankind. The conference attracted approximately 300 participants including delegates from France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, USA and Vietnam. AP-IRC 2011 was chaired by Dr Yoshiyuki Sakaki, President of Toyohashi Tech, who opened the proceedings by stressing the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to research, to resolve global scientific and technical issues. Recalling his own experience as the leader of Japan's efforts in the Human Genome Project, Sakaki also encouraged participants to make an effort to try to understand the sometimes difficult concepts and terminology of other areas of research. The presentations at AP-IRC 2011 were divided into three focus sessions: innovative mechano-magneto-electronic systems, life sciences, and green science and technology. A total of 174 papers were presented over the two-day conference including eight by invited speakers. Highlights of AP-IRC 2011 included a first-hand account of the damage caused by the massive earthquake in March 2011 to experimental facilities at Tohoku University by Masayoshi Esashi; the fascinating world of bees and the inborn numerical competence of humans and animals by Hans J Gross; research on robots and cognition-enabled technical systems at Technische Universität München by Sandra Hirche; the history of events leading to the invention of the world's strongest NdFeB permanent magnet by Masato Sagawa

Identifying Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration in Instructional Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Yonjoo

2017-01-01

Interdisciplinarity is defined as communication and collaboration across academic disciplines. The instructional technology (IT) field has claimed to have an interdisciplinary nature influenced by neighboring fields such as psychology, communication, and management. However, it has been difficult to find outstanding evidence of the field's…

Towards International and Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration for the Measurements of Quality of Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mizohata, Sachie; Jadoul, Raynald

2013-01-01

This paper focuses on three main subjects: (1) monitoring quality of life (QoL) in old age; (2) international and interdisciplinary collaboration for QoL research; and (3) computer-based technology and infrastructure assisting (1) and (2). This type of computer-supported cooperative work in the social sciences has been termed eHumanities or…

Interdisciplinary debate in the teaching-learning process on bioethics: academic health experiences.

PubMed

Campos Daniel, Jéssica; Dias Reis Pessalacia, Juliana; Leite de Andrade, Ana Flávia

2016-06-01

The study aimed to understand the health of student experiences to participate in interdisciplinary discussions in bioethics and know the contributions of interdisciplinary methodological resource for the teaching-learning process at graduation. Descriptive study of qualitative approach in a public higher education institution of Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Three categories of analysis were identified: ''active methodologies in the training of a professional critic,'' ''interdisciplinary debate as facilitator reflection of bioethics'' and ''feelings and attitudes caused by the interdisciplinary debate.'' Discussion. There was a lack of approach of bioethical contents in the health curriculum, and the adoption of active methodologies provides a better reflection in bioethics, but that requires changing paradigms of teachers and educational institutions.

Structural barriers and facilitators in HIV prevention: a review of international research.

PubMed

Parker, R G; Easton, D; Klein, C H

2000-06-01

This article provides an overview of a growing body of international research focusing on the structural and environmental factors that shape the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and create barriers and facilitators in relation to HIV-prevention programs. OVERVIEW OF STRUCTURAL-FACTORS LITERATURE: Most of the research on structural and environmental factors can be grouped into a small number of analytically distinct but interconnected categories: economic (under)development and poverty; mobility, including migration, seasonal work, and social disruption due to war and political instability; and gender inequalities. An additional focus in research on structural and environmental factors has been on the effects of particular governmental and intergovernmental policies in increasing or diminishing HIV vulnerability and transmission. A smaller subset of the research on structural factors describes and/or evaluates specific interventions in detail. Approaches that have received significant attention include targeted interventions developed for heterosexual women, female commercial sex workers, male truck drivers, and men who have sex with men. The structural and environmental factors literature offers important insights and reveals a number of productive intervention strategies that might be explored in both resource-rich and -poor settings. However, new methodologies are required to document and evaluate the effects of the structural interventions, which by their very nature involve large-scale elements that cannot be easily controlled by experimental or quasi-experimental research designs. Innovative, interdisciplinary approaches are needed that can move beyond the limited successes of traditional behavioral interventions and explicitly attempt to achieve broader social and structural change.

The Virtue of Reverence in Interdisciplinary Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arvidson, P. Sven

2015-01-01

One reason scholars and students are attracted to interdisciplinary studies and its research process is because doing good work in the field requires values, traits and skills that are virtuous rather than vicious. This study examines how successful interdisciplinary research is intrinsically related to the human capacity for reverence in the face…

Fostering Interdisciplinary Research in Universities: A Case Study of Leadership, Alignment and Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Townsend, Tony; Pisapia, John; Razzaq, Jamila

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to describe actions designed to foster interdisciplinary research efforts at a major university in the UK. The study employed a descriptive mixed method case study approach to collecting and analysing the data used to draw its conclusions. One hundred and twenty-seven academic staff responded to the survey. The results of…

Interdisciplinary and participatory approaches: the key to effective groundwater management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barthel, Roland; Foster, Stephen; Villholth, Karen G.

2017-11-01

The challenges of a changing world, which are progressively threatening sustainable use of groundwater resources, can only be rationally and effectively addressed through close collaboration between experts and practitioners from different disciplines. Furthermore, science and management need to build on stakeholder opinions and processes in order to generate useful knowledge and positive outcomes in terms of sustainable and equitable groundwater management. This essay provides a discussion of the status of and vision for participatory and inter-disciplinary approaches to groundwater evaluation and management as well as a conceptual framework and relevant research questions that will facilitate such approaches.

A Multimethod Analysis of Shared Decision-Making in Hospice Interdisciplinary Team Meetings Including Family Caregivers

PubMed Central

Washington, Karla T.; Oliver, Debra Parker; Gage, L. Ashley; Albright, David L.; Demiris, George

2015-01-01

Background Much of the existing research on shared decision-making in hospice and palliative care focuses on the provider-patient dyad; little is known about shared decision-making that is inclusive of family members of patients with advanced disease. Aim We sought to describe shared decision-making as it occurred in hospice interdisciplinary team meetings that included family caregivers as participants using video-conferencing technology. Design We conducted a multimethod study in which we used content and thematic analysis techniques to analyze video-recordings of hospice interdisciplinary team meetings (n = 100), individual interviews of family caregivers (n = 73) and hospice staff members (n = 78), and research field notes. Setting/participants Participants in the original studies from which data for this analysis were drawn were hospice family caregivers and staff members employed by one of five different community-based hospice agencies located in the Midwestern United States. Results Shared decision-making occurred infrequently in hospice interdisciplinary team meetings that included family caregivers. Barriers to shared decision-making included time constraints, communication skill deficits, unaddressed emotional needs, staff absences, and unclear role expectations. The hospice philosophy of care, current trends in health care delivery, the interdisciplinary nature of hospice teams, and the designation of a team leader/facilitator supported shared decision-making. Conclusions The involvement of family caregivers in hospice interdisciplinary team meetings using video-conferencing technology creates a useful platform for shared decision-making; however, steps must be taken to transform family caregivers from meeting attendees to shared decision-makers. PMID:26281854

A multimethod analysis of shared decision-making in hospice interdisciplinary team meetings including family caregivers.

PubMed

Washington, Karla T; Oliver, Debra Parker; Gage, L Ashley; Albright, David L; Demiris, George

2016-03-01

Much of the existing research on shared decision-making in hospice and palliative care focuses on the provider-patient dyad; little is known about shared decision-making that is inclusive of family members of patients with advanced disease. We sought to describe shared decision-making as it occurred in hospice interdisciplinary team meetings that included family caregivers as participants using video-conferencing technology. We conducted a multimethod study in which we used content and thematic analysis techniques to analyze video-recordings of hospice interdisciplinary team meetings (n = 100), individual interviews of family caregivers (n = 73) and hospice staff members (n = 78), and research field notes. Participants in the original studies from which data for this analysis were drawn were hospice family caregivers and staff members employed by one of five different community-based hospice agencies located in the Midwestern United States. Shared decision-making occurred infrequently in hospice interdisciplinary team meetings that included family caregivers. Barriers to shared decision-making included time constraints, communication skill deficits, unaddressed emotional needs, staff absences, and unclear role expectations. The hospice philosophy of care, current trends in healthcare delivery, the interdisciplinary nature of hospice teams, and the designation of a team leader/facilitator supported shared decision-making. The involvement of family caregivers in hospice interdisciplinary team meetings using video-conferencing technology creates a useful platform for shared decision-making; however, steps must be taken to transform family caregivers from meeting attendees to shared decision-makers. © The Author(s) 2015.

University of Idaho Water of the West Initiative: Development of a sustainable, interdisciplinary water resources program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boll, J.; Cosens, B.; Fiedler, F.; Link, T.; Wilson, P.; Harris, C.; Tuller, M.; Johnson, G.; Kennedy, B.

2006-12-01

Recently, an interdisciplinary group of faculty from the University of Idaho was awarded a major internal grant for their project "Water of the West (WoW)" to launch an interdisciplinary Water Resources Graduate Education Program. This Water Resources program will facilitate research and education to influence both the scientific understanding of the resource and how it is managed, and advance the decision-making processes that are the means to address competing societal values. By educating students to integrate environmental sciences, socio-economic, and political issues, the WoW project advances the University's land grant mission to promote economic and social development in the state of Idaho. This will be accomplished through novel experiential interdisciplinary education activities; creation of interdisciplinary research efforts among water resources faculty; and focusing on urgent regional problems with an approach that will involve and provide information to local communities. The Water Resources Program will integrate physical and biological sciences, social science, law, policy and engineering to address problems associated with stewardship of our scarce water resources. As part of the WoW project, faculty will: (1) develop an integrative problem-solving framework; (2) develop activities to broaden WR education; (3) collaborate with the College of Law to offer a concurrent J.D. degree, (4) develop a virtual system of watersheds for teaching and research, and (5) attract graduate students for team-based education. The new program involves 50 faculty from six colleges and thirteen departments across the university. This university-wide initiative is strengthened by collaboration with the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, and participation from off-campus Centers in Idaho Falls, Boise, Twin Falls, and Coeur d'Alene. We hope this presentation will attract university faculty, water resources professionals, and others for stimulating discussions on

Developing human functioning and rehabilitation research. Part II: Interdisciplinary university centers and national and regional collaboration networks.

PubMed

Stucki, Gerold; Celio, Marco

2007-05-01

There is a strong movement towards interdisciplinary research around common and scientifically competitive themes, both at universities and at the national and regional level. Human functioning and rehabilitation is a new, highly innovative and relevant theme. It has the potential to attract researchers from a wide range of disciplines, institutions and organizations. It is thus of interest for universities seeking to embark upon a new and unique research area. Similarly, it is a promising theme for individual researchers, institutions and organizations aiming to develop a national or regional collaboration network for interdisciplinary research. Human functioning and rehabilitation complements established themes from the biomedical perspective. In the context of the life sciences, it can be seen as an extension of the biosciences towards a comprehensive understanding of human life, including human interaction and communication, against the background of the natural and social environment. Based on a better understanding of human functioning and disability, there is a wide range of largely unexplored possibilities to optimize populations' functioning and minimize persons' experience of disability in the presence of a health condition. Rehabilitation research is uniquely positioned to integrate and translate scientific advances into benefits for people and the society. Rehabilitation research from the comprehensive perspective can thus become a catalyst of interdisciplinary research that crosses the boundaries of the natural sciences and engineering research, the human and behavioral sciences, the social sciences and a wide range of related scientific areas. Rehabilitation research is also uniquely positioned to cross the boundaries of medicine and the health sector at large, and to translate knowledge across sectors including education, labor and social affairs.

Science IDEAS: A Research-Based K-5 Interdisciplinary Instructional Model Linking Science and Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romance, Nancy R.; Vitale, Michael R.

2012-01-01

Science IDEAS is an evidence-based model that reflects interdisciplinary research findings that support the integration of literacy (e.g., reading comprehension) within science instruction in grades K-5. Presented is a framework for planning integrated science and literacy instruction in which six elements (hands-on investigations, reading,…

Student Socialization in Interdisciplinary Doctoral Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boden, Daniel; Borrego, Maura; Newswander, Lynita K.

2011-01-01

Interdisciplinary approaches are often seen as necessary for attacking the most critical challenges facing the world today, and doctoral students and their training programs are recognized as central to increasing interdisciplinary research capacity. However, the traditional culture and organization of higher education are ill-equipped to…

Anthropology and Geosciences: Training and Collaboration Advancing Interdisciplinary Research of Human-environment Interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brondizio, E.; Moran, E.

2005-05-01

Over the past thirteen years the Anthropological Center for Training and Research on Global Environmental Change (ACT) at Indiana University has pioneered the use of anthropological and environmental research approaches to address issues of land use change, and population-environment interaction, particularly in the Amazon. Our research and training objectives focus on how particular local populations manage resources and how those activities may be studied by integrating time-tested ethnographic methods, survey instruments, ecological field studies, and the spatial and temporal perspectives of remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems. The globalization of the environment crisis bears the risk of the research and training at universities being purely global or large scale in nature. This would fail to take into account the highly variable local causes of human activities or to discover sustainable solutions to the use, conservation, and restoration of human ecosystems. Our approach combines institutional and international collaboration, formal and hands-on laboratory and field activities developed within an interdisciplinary environment, but based on the strength of disciplinary programs. Over the past years, we have particularly emphasized collaboration between American and Brazilian scholars and students and intense work with local farmers and communities both during data collection and field research, as well as in returning data and results using different formats. In this paper, we address our experience, the challenges and advantages of theoretical and methodological development for students approaching interdisciplinary problems, innovations in linking levels of analysis, and new opportunities for international and collaborative training and research on human-environment interaction.

Computational Methods for HSCT-Inlet Controls/CFD Interdisciplinary Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cole, Gary L.; Melcher, Kevin J.; Chicatelli, Amy K.; Hartley, Tom T.; Chung, Joongkee

1994-01-01

A program aimed at facilitating the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations by the controls discipline is presented. The objective is to reduce the development time and cost for propulsion system controls by using CFD simulations to obtain high-fidelity system models for control design and as numerical test beds for control system testing and validation. An interdisciplinary team has been formed to develop analytical and computational tools in three discipline areas: controls, CFD, and computational technology. The controls effort has focused on specifying requirements for an interface between the controls specialist and CFD simulations and a new method for extracting linear, reduced-order control models from CFD simulations. Existing CFD codes are being modified to permit time accurate execution and provide realistic boundary conditions for controls studies. Parallel processing and distributed computing techniques, along with existing system integration software, are being used to reduce CFD execution times and to support the development of an integrated analysis/design system. This paper describes: the initial application for the technology being developed, the high speed civil transport (HSCT) inlet control problem; activities being pursued in each discipline area; and a prototype analysis/design system in place for interactive operation and visualization of a time-accurate HSCT-inlet simulation.

Research data management support for large-scale, long-term, interdisciplinary collaborative research centers with a focus on environmental sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curdt, C.; Hoffmeister, D.; Bareth, G.; Lang, U.

2017-12-01

Science conducted in collaborative, cross-institutional research projects, requires active sharing of research ideas, data, documents and further information in a well-managed, controlled and structured manner. Thus, it is important to establish corresponding infrastructures and services for the scientists. Regular project meetings and joint field campaigns support the exchange of research ideas. Technical infrastructures facilitate storage, documentation, exchange and re-use of data as results of scientific output. Additionally, also publications, conference contributions, reports, pictures etc. should be managed. Both, knowledge and data sharing is essential to create synergies. Within the coordinated programme `Collaborative Research Center' (CRC), the German Research Foundation offers funding to establish research data management (RDM) infrastructures and services. CRCs are large-scale, interdisciplinary, multi-institutional, long-term (up to 12 years), university-based research institutions (up to 25 sub-projects). These CRCs address complex and scientifically challenging research questions. This poster presents the RDM services and infrastructures that have been established for two CRCs, both focusing on environmental sciences. Since 2007, a RDM support infrastructure and associated services have been set up for the CRC/Transregio 32 (CRC/TR32) `Patterns in Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere-Systems: Monitoring, Modelling and Data Assimilation' (www.tr32.de). The experiences gained have been used to arrange RDM services for the CRC1211 `Earth - Evolution at the Dry Limit' (www.crc1211.de), funded since 2016. In both projects scientists from various disciplines collect heterogeneous data at field campaigns or by modelling approaches. To manage the scientific output, the TR32DB data repository (www.tr32db.de) has been designed and implemented for the CRC/TR32. This system was transferred and adapted to the CRC1211 needs (www.crc1211db.uni-koeln.de) in 2016. Both

Developing Reflexive Identities through Collaborative, Interdisciplinary and Precarious Work: The Experience of Early Career Researchers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enright, Bryony; Facer, Keri

2017-01-01

This paper explores the experiences of 24 Early Career Researchers working in interdisciplinary and precarious employment conditions in which they are managing collaborations with multiple partners beyond the university as part of the AHRC's "Connected Communities" Programme. These conditions emerge from conflicting sources--from…

Interdisciplinary Pathways for Urban Metabolism Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newell, J. P.

2011-12-01

With its rapid rise as a metaphor to express coupled natural-human systems in cities, the concept of urban metabolism is evolving into a series of relatively distinct research frameworks amongst various disciplines, with varying definitions, theories, models, and emphases. In industrial ecology, housed primarily within the disciplinary domain of engineering, urban metabolism research has focused on quantifying material and energy flows into, within, and out of cities, using methodologies such as material flow analysis and life cycle assessment. In the field of urban ecology, which is strongly influenced by ecology and urban planning, research focus has been placed on understanding and modeling the complex patterns and processes of human-ecological systems within urban areas. Finally, in political ecology, closely aligned with human geography and anthropology, scholars theorize about the interwoven knots of social and natural processes, material flows, and spatial structures that form the urban metabolism. This paper offers three potential interdisciplinary urban metabolism research tracks that might integrate elements of these three "ecologies," thereby bridging engineering and the social and physical sciences. First, it presents the idea of infrastructure ecology, which explores the complex, emergent interdependencies between gray (water and wastewater, transportation, etc) and green (e.g. parks, greenways) infrastructure systems, as nested within a broader socio-economic context. For cities to be sustainable and resilient over time-space, the theory follows, these is a need to understand and redesign these infrastructure linkages. Second, there is the concept of an urban-scale carbon metabolism model which integrates consumption-based material flow analysis (including goods, water, and materials), with the carbon sink and source dynamics of the built environment (e.g. buildings, etc) and urban ecosystems. Finally, there is the political ecology of the material

A meeting of minds: interdisciplinary research in the health sciences in Canada

PubMed Central

Hall, Judith G.; Bainbridge, Lesley; Buchan, Alison; Cribb, Alastair; Drummond, Jane; Gyles, Carlton; Hicks, T. Philip; McWilliam, Carol; Paterson, Barbara; Ratner, Pamela A.; Skarakis-Doyle, Elizabeth; Solomon, Patty

2006-01-01

Brought together by the newly formed Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), recognized national leaders in the 6 health sciences disciplines consider the environment for conducting interdisciplinary health research (IDHR) in Canada. Based on first-hand knowledge and thoughtful reflection, the authors argue that although much progress has been made in support of IDHR in Canada, the practical experience of researchers does not always bear this out. This article examines government, industry and academia to identify the cultural and structural characteristics that demand, promote or prevent IDHR in each sector. At its heart is the question, How can universities best support and enhance IDHR, not only for the benefit of science, but also to meet the growing needs of industry and government for intellectual capital? Focusing on the predominant health sciences disciplines, the authors define IDHR as a team of researchers, solidly grounded in their respective disciplines, who come together around an important and challenging health issue, the research question for which is determined by a shared understanding in an interactive and iterative process. In addition, they suggest that IDHR is directly linked to translational research, which is the application of basic science to clinical practice and the generation of scientific questions through clinical observation. This analysis of academic, industry and government sectors is not intended to offer rigorous data on the current state of IDHR in Canada. Rather, the goal is to stimulate research-policy dialogue by suggesting a number of immediate measures that can help promote IDHR in Canada. Recommended measures to support IDHR are aimed at better resourcing and recognition (by universities and granting agencies), along with novel approaches to training, such as government- and industry-based studentships. In addition, we recommend that professional organizations reconsider their policies on publication and governance

IEDA Integrated Services: Improving the User Experience for Interdisciplinary Earth Science Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter-Orlando, M.; Ferrini, V. L.; Lehnert, K.; Carbotte, S. M.; Richard, S. M.; Morton, J. J.; Shane, N.; Ash, J.; Song, L.

2017-12-01

The Interdisciplinary Earth Data Alliance (IEDA) is an NSF-funded data facility that provides data tools and services to support the Ocean, Earth, and Polar Sciences. IEDA systems, developed and maintained primarily by the IEDA partners EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS), serve as primary community data collections for global geochemistry and marine geoscience research and support the preservation, discovery, retrieval, and analysis of a wide range of observational field and analytical data types. Individual IEDA systems originated independently and differ from one another in purpose and scope. Some IEDA systems are data repositories (EarthChem Library, Marine Geo-Digital Library), while others are actively maintained data syntheses (GMRT, PetDB, EarthChem Portal, Geochron). Still others are data visualization and analysis tools (GeoMapApp). Although the diversity of IEDA's data types, tools, and services is a major strength and of high value to investigators, it can be a source of confusion. And while much of the data managed in IEDA systems is appropriate for interdisciplinary research, investigators may be unfamiliar with the user interfaces and services of each system, especially if it is not in their primary discipline. This presentation will highlight new ways in which IEDA helps researchers to more efficiently navigate data submission and data access. It will also discuss how IEDA promotes discovery and access within and across its systems, to serve interdisciplinary science while also remaining aware of and responsive to the more specific needs of its disciplinary user communities. The IEDA Data Submission Hub (DaSH), which is currently under development, aspires to streamline the submission process for both the science data contributor and for the repository data curator. Instead of users deciding a priori, which system they should contribute their data to, the DaSH helps route them to the appropriate repository based primarily on data

Communicating about Sexuality: An Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Honors Seminar.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rozema, Hazel J.

A course in the honors program (a sophomore level social science seminar) at Millikin University offers an interdisciplinary approach to communication and sexuality, functions as a course in the Gender Studies Minor curriculum, and provides a needed source of sex education for the campus. The purpose of the course is to facilitate communication…

An interdisciplinary approach to personalized medicine: case studies from a cardiogenetics clinic.

PubMed

Erskine, Kathleen E; Griffith, Eleanor; Degroat, Nicole; Stolerman, Marina; Silverstein, Louise B; Hidayatallah, Nadia; Wasserman, David; Paljevic, Esma; Cohen, Lilian; Walsh, Christine A; McDonald, Thomas; Marion, Robert W; Dolan, Siobhan M

2013-01-01

In the genomic age, the challenges presented by various inherited conditions present a compelling argument for an interdisciplinary model of care. Cardiac arrhythmias with a genetic basis, such as long QT syndrome, require clinicians with expertise in many specialties to address the complex genetic, psychological, ethical and medical issues involved in treatment. The Montefiore-Einstein Center for CardioGenetics has been established to provide personalized, interdisciplinary care for families with a history of sudden cardiac death or an acute cardiac event. Four vignettes of patient care are presented to illustrate the unique capacity of an interdisciplinary model to address genetic, psychological, ethical and medical issues. Because interdisciplinary clinics facilitate collaboration among multiple specialties, they allow for individualized, comprehensive care to be delivered to families who experience complex inherited medical conditions. As the genetic basis of many complex conditions is discovered, the advantages of an interdisciplinary approach for delivering personalized medicine will become more evident.

The Nyanza Project: Interdisciplinary Research Training In Tropical Lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, A. S.; Lezzar, K. E.; Michel, E.; O'Reilly, C. M.; Russell, J. M.; Nkotagu, H.; Kimirei, I.

2005-12-01

The Nyanza Project is a research training program for American and African students, run annually at Lake Tanganyika (LT), Tanzania. The Project`s objective is to provide undergraduates, graduate students and secondary school teachers with the skills to plan and conduct interdisciplinary research on various aspects of tropical lake studiees. At a time of rapid global change there is a pressing need for young scientists trained to investigate environmental processes in an interdisciplinary framework. Training students to understand long-term changes in water availability, water quality and the relationship of aquatic ecosystems to rapid climate change represents a critical element of this societal need. Waterbodies in the tropics are particularly useful proving grounds for training future researchers on the impacts of global change on natural waters, as they are very sensitive to environmental and climatic change. Moreover, they are likely to provide instructive bellwethers of changes to come in U.S. inland waters. Each year 17-22 undergraduates, 3-4 graduate students and one secondary school teacher are selected for the program from the US and Africa. To date (1998-2005), 89 undergraduate students, 24 graduate students, and 8 secondary school teachers from the US have participated through the Project`s NSF support and 58 African students (from Tanzania, Burundi, Zambia, Congo, Kenya, and Burkina Faso) have been funded to participate in the Nyanza Project through supporting grants from our non-NSF funding sources. The 7-week program comprises an initial two week intensive short course on all aspects of the LT system and project preparation period, followed by 5 weeks of directed research, written report preparation, and scientific meeting-styled presentations. Focal topics for Nyanza Project research include: 1) investigating East African paleoclimates using sediment cores and reflection seismic profiling, 2) mapping & interpreting the geologic structure and

Interdisciplinary Models for Research and Clinical Endeavors in Genomic Medicine: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

PubMed

Musunuru, Kiran; Arora, Pankaj; Cooke, John P; Ferguson, Jane F; Hershberger, Ray E; Hickey, Kathleen T; Lee, Jin-Moo; Lima, João A C; Loscalzo, Joseph; Pereira, Naveen L; Russell, Mark W; Shah, Svati H; Sheikh, Farah; Wang, Thomas J; MacRae, Calum A

2018-06-01

The completion of the Human Genome Project has unleashed a wealth of human genomics information, but it remains unclear how best to implement this information for the benefit of patients. The standard approach of biomedical research, with researchers pursuing advances in knowledge in the laboratory and, separately, clinicians translating research findings into the clinic as much as decades later, will need to give way to new interdisciplinary models for research in genomic medicine. These models should include scientists and clinicians actively working as teams to study patients and populations recruited in clinical settings and communities to make genomics discoveries-through the combined efforts of data scientists, clinical researchers, epidemiologists, and basic scientists-and to rapidly apply these discoveries in the clinic for the prediction, prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The highly publicized US Precision Medicine Initiative, also known as All of Us, is a large-scale program funded by the US National Institutes of Health that will energize these efforts, but several ongoing studies such as the UK Biobank Initiative; the Million Veteran Program; the Electronic Medical Records and Genomics Network; the Kaiser Permanente Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health; and the DiscovEHR collaboration are already providing exemplary models of this kind of interdisciplinary work. In this statement, we outline the opportunities and challenges in broadly implementing new interdisciplinary models in academic medical centers and community settings and bringing the promise of genomics to fruition. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Office of Interdisciplinary Health Studies Education, East Carolina university.

PubMed

Greer, Annette G; Clay, Maria C

2010-01-01

The Office of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Education resides organizationally within East Carolina University (ECU), Division of Health Sciences; ECU established this office in 1999. The mission of the office is fivefold: 1. promote the expansion of interdisciplinary training within and between Health Sciences and other health-related programs on campus; 2. promote innovative research opportunities across disciplines, in particular, projects regarding interdisciplinary health sciences education; 3. serve as a clearinghouse for information relative to existing and planned interdisciplinary activities and projects within the Division; 4. collaborate with units, and communities in establishing community partnerships for interdisciplinary rural health training; and 5. identify core curricular content across health-related disciplines, minimizing curricular redundancy while promoting interdisciplinary collaboration.

An interdisciplinary learning experience in neuro-optics.

PubMed

Anselmi, Francesca; Bertherat, Julien; Estebanez, Luc; van 't Hoff, Marcel; Zylbersztejn, Kathleen

2012-01-01

How can a Ph.D. student initially trained as a biologist take part in the development of a multineuronal recording method that requires cross interaction between physics, neurobiology and mathematics? Beyond student training in the laboratory, interdisciplinary research calls for a new style of academic training of young researchers. Here we present an innovative approach to graduate student academic training that fills the need for multidisciplinary knowledge and provides students, in addition, with a deeper understanding of the interdisciplinary approach to scientific research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

To Understand and Be Understood: Facilitating Interdisciplinary Learning through the Promotion of Communicative Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Stephen

2018-01-01

Whilst interdisciplinarity has become a central concern of research and learning in geography, few from the discipline have considered the practical facilitation of interdisciplinarity in the classroom. Module convenors, I argue, must pay greater attention to how learners engage and negotiate with peers and perspectives from other disciplines. In…

Interdisciplinary research in global biogeochemical cycling Nitrous oxide in terrestrial ecosystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, S. D.; Peterson, D. L.

1984-01-01

NASA has begun an interdisciplinary research program to investigate various aspects of Global Biology and Global Habitability. An important element selected for the study of global phenomena is related to biogeochemical cycling. The studies involve a collaboration with recognized scientists in the areas of plant physiology, microbiology, nutrient cycling theory, and related areas. Selected subjects of study include nitrogen cycling dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems with special attention to biosphere/atmosphere interactions, and an identification of sensitive response variables which can be used in ecosystem models based on parameters derived from remotely sensed variables. A description is provided of the progress and findings over the past two years. Attention is given to the characteristics of nitrous oxide emissions, the approach followed in the investigations, the selection of study sites, radiometric measurements, and research in Sequoia.

Researching Lifelong Learning Participation through an Interdisciplinary Lens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boeren, Ellen

2017-01-01

This paper explores the interdisciplinary nature of studies in the field of lifelong learning participation. Until recently, participation studies have been presented in a rather fragmented way, often drawing on insights from separate disciplines such as sociology or psychology. The complex nature of lifelong learning participation, however, urges…

Promoting older people's voices- the contribution of social work to inter-disciplinary research.

PubMed

Powell, Jackie

2007-01-01

UK government policies over the last decade or more have focussed on giving older people more voice in the design, delivery and assessment of services. Mirroring these trends, there has been a shift towards increased involvement of older people in the research process. Drawing on three research studies, this paper examines the contribution of social work to an inter-disciplinary research agenda designed to promote increased involvement of older people in issues of service quality in primarily health settings. Challenges and opportunities are discussed. Each of the studies illustrates the importance of promoting research practice congruent with social work's commitment to partnership and empowering forms of practice. This, it is argued, requires the challenging of ageist assumptions, the use of a range of research methods and the valuing of different forms of knowledge.

Facilitating the transition from physiology to hospital wards through an interdisciplinary case study of septic shock.

PubMed

Li, Albert S; Berger, Kenneth I; Schwartz, David R; Slater, William R; Goldfarb, David S

2014-04-12

In order to develop clinical reasoning, medical students must be able to integrate knowledge across traditional subject boundaries and multiple disciplines. At least two dimensions of integration have been identified: horizontal integration, bringing together different disciplines in considering a topic; and vertical integration, bridging basic science and clinical practice. Much attention has been focused on curriculum overhauls, but our approach is to facilitate horizontal and vertical integration on a smaller scale through an interdisciplinary case study discussion and then to assess its utility. An interdisciplinary case study discussion about a critically ill patient was implemented at the end of an organ system-based, basic sciences module at New York University School of Medicine. Three clinical specialists-a cardiologist, a pulmonologist, and a nephrologist-jointly led a discussion about a complex patient in the intensive care unit with multiple medical problems secondary to septic shock. The discussion emphasized the physiologic underpinnings behind the patient's presentation and the physiologic considerations across the various systems in determining proper treatment. The discussion also highlighted the interdependence between the cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal systems, which were initially presented in separate units. After the session students were given a brief, anonymous three-question free-response questionnaire in which they were asked to evaluate and freely comment on the exercise. Students not only took away physiological principles but also gained an appreciation for various thematic lessons for bringing basic science to the bedside, especially horizontal and vertical integration. The response of the participants was overwhelmingly positive with many indicating that the exercise integrated the material across organ systems, and strengthened their appreciation of the role of physiology in understanding disease presentations and guiding

Facilitating the transition from physiology to hospital wards through an interdisciplinary case study of septic shock

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In order to develop clinical reasoning, medical students must be able to integrate knowledge across traditional subject boundaries and multiple disciplines. At least two dimensions of integration have been identified: horizontal integration, bringing together different disciplines in considering a topic; and vertical integration, bridging basic science and clinical practice. Much attention has been focused on curriculum overhauls, but our approach is to facilitate horizontal and vertical integration on a smaller scale through an interdisciplinary case study discussion and then to assess its utility. Methods An interdisciplinary case study discussion about a critically ill patient was implemented at the end of an organ system-based, basic sciences module at New York University School of Medicine. Three clinical specialists—a cardiologist, a pulmonologist, and a nephrologist—jointly led a discussion about a complex patient in the intensive care unit with multiple medical problems secondary to septic shock. The discussion emphasized the physiologic underpinnings behind the patient’s presentation and the physiologic considerations across the various systems in determining proper treatment. The discussion also highlighted the interdependence between the cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal systems, which were initially presented in separate units. After the session students were given a brief, anonymous three-question free-response questionnaire in which they were asked to evaluate and freely comment on the exercise. Results Students not only took away physiological principles but also gained an appreciation for various thematic lessons for bringing basic science to the bedside, especially horizontal and vertical integration. The response of the participants was overwhelmingly positive with many indicating that the exercise integrated the material across organ systems, and strengthened their appreciation of the role of physiology in understanding

Emerging interdisciplinary fields in the coming intelligence/convergence era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noor, Ahmed K.

2012-09-01

Dramatic advances are in the horizon resulting from rapid pace of development of several technologies, including, computing, communication, mobile, robotic, and interactive technologies. These advances, along with the trend towards convergence of traditional engineering disciplines with physical, life and other science disciplines will result in the development of new interdisciplinary fields, as well as in new paradigms for engineering practice in the coming intelligence/convergence era (post-information age). The interdisciplinary fields include Cyber Engineering, Living Systems Engineering, Biomechatronics/Robotics Engineering, Knowledge Engineering, Emergent/Complexity Engineering, and Multiscale Systems engineering. The paper identifies some of the characteristics of the intelligence/convergence era, gives broad definition of convergence, describes some of the emerging interdisciplinary fields, and lists some of the academic and other organizations working in these disciplines. The need is described for establishing a Hierarchical Cyber-Physical Ecosystem for facilitating interdisciplinary collaborations, and accelerating development of skilled workforce in the new fields. The major components of the ecosystem are listed. The new interdisciplinary fields will yield critical advances in engineering practice, and help in addressing future challenges in broad array of sectors, from manufacturing to energy, transportation, climate, and healthcare. They will also enable building large future complex adaptive systems-of-systems, such as intelligent multimodal transportation systems, optimized multi-energy systems, intelligent disaster prevention systems, and smart cities.

Interdisciplinary Research Topics in Urban Engineering. (A Summary of the Report by the Urban Engineering Study Committee)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eng Educ, 1969

1969-01-01

Proposes preparation of urban engineers through interdisciplinary systems engineering research in order that technology may be applied to urban problems such as transportation, environment, and housing. Summary of report by the Urban Engineering Study Committee. Complete report available at

Case study research: training interdisciplinary engineers with context-dependent knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chanan, Amit; Vigneswaran, Saravanamuth; Kandasamy, Jaya

2012-03-01

It is now widely acknowledged that water management discipline is transforming, from being a public health and flood prevention challenge of the nineteenth century to a multi-dimensional challenge of water security for the twenty-first century. In order to train water engineers to be capable of working with this holistic multi-dimensional approach, a new paradigm in engineering education is required. Adjustments already made to undergraduate coursework are not enough; this new paradigm requires modifications to the PhD in engineering, with greater emphasis on interdisciplinary case study research. Such a change can deliver PhD graduates with both sufficient social and technical knowledge, who can then go on to become the hybrid lecturers crucially needed for training future water engineers.

Essential Tensions in Interdisciplinary Scholarship: Navigating Challenges in Affect, Epistemologies, and Structure in Environment-Society Research Centers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, V. Kelly; Benessaiah, Karina; Warren, Scott; Iwaniec, David

2015-01-01

Scholars have enumerated unique challenges to collaborative interdisciplinary research, many of which evade prescriptive solutions. Some of these challenges can be understood as "essential tensions," necessary and persistent contradictory imperatives in the scientific process. Drawing from interviews with internationally renowned…

Comprehensive Evaluation of the 1996 Interdisciplinary Teamed Instruction Summer Institute.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meehan, Merrill L.; Cowley, Kimberly S.

The Interdisciplinary Teamed Instruction (ITI) Project was a 2-year project aimed at determining the effects of ITI on teaching and learning and at validating the effectiveness of a professional development model to facilitate development, implementation, and evaluation of ITI. Through summer institutes and onsite workshops, project staff provided…

Interdisciplinary Curriculum and Student Outcomes: The Case of a General Education Course at a Research University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orillion, Marie-France

2009-01-01

Teacher Student relationship;This article examines the relationship between interdisciplinary curriculum and student outcomes. In this inquiry, the author uses data collected during a two-year ethnographic study of six courses in a general education reform at Southwestern University (all names are pseudonyms), a research university with a diverse…

Mentoring Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Students via a Team Effort

PubMed Central

Karsai, Istvan; Knisley, Jeff; Knisley, Debra; Yampolsky, Lev; Godbole, Anant

2011-01-01

We describe how a team approach that we developed as a mentoring strategy can be used to recruit, advance, and guide students to be more interested in the interdisciplinary field of mathematical biology, and lead to success in undergraduate research in this field. Students are introduced to research in their first semester via lab rotations. Their participation in the research of four faculty members—two from biology and two from mathematics—gives them a first-hand overview of research in quantitative biology and also some initial experience in research itself. However, one of the primary goals of the lab rotation experience is that of developing teams of students and faculty that combine mathematics and statistics with biology and the life sciences, teams that subsequently mentor undergraduate research in genuine interdisciplinary environments. Thus, the team concept serves not only as a means of establishing interdisciplinary research, but also as a means of incorporating new students into existing research efforts that will then track those students into meaningful research of their own. We report how the team concept is used to support undergraduate research in mathematical biology and what types of team-building strategies have worked for us. PMID:21885821

Interdisciplinary Interactions within a Small-Scale Research Initiative Investigating Animation Creation as a Means of Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wishart, J. M.; Wakley, G.

2017-01-01

This paper reports an interdisciplinary research (IDR) initiative conducted by two lecturers from different university faculties who found they shared an interest in using animations to support teaching and learning. The research comprised an exploratory pilot to test the feasibility, and to explore the impact on learning, of having undergraduates…

Cultivation of an Interdisciplinary, Research-Based Neuroscience Minor at Hope College

PubMed Central

Chase, Leah A.; Stewart, Joanne; Barney, Christopher C.

2006-01-01

Hope College is an undergraduate liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 3,000 students. In the spring of 2005, we began to offer an interdisciplinary neuroscience minor program that is open to all students. The objective of this program is to introduce students to the field of neuroscience, and to do so in such a way as to broaden students’ disciplinary perspectives, enhance communication and quantitative skills, and increase higher-level reasoning skills by encouraging collaboration among students who have different disciplinary backgrounds. This is a research-based program that culminates in a one-year capstone research course. Here we present the story of the program development at Hope College, including a description of our newly developed curriculum, our initial assessment data, and the lessons we have learned in developing this program. PMID:23493857

Improving Postsecondary STEM Education: Strategies for Successful Interdisciplinary Collaborations and Brokering Engagement with Education Research and Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bouwma-Gearhart, Jana; Perry, Kristen H.; Presley, Jennifer B.

2014-01-01

This article describes factors that influence the success of collaborations involving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and Education faculty at research-focused universities who work toward postsecondary STEM education improvement. We provide insight into how interdisciplinary faculty may successfully collaborate given…

Interdisciplinary linkage of community psychology and cross-cultural psychology: history, values, and an illustrative research and action project on intimate partner violence.

PubMed

Mankowski, Eric S; Galvez, Gino; Glass, Nancy

2011-03-01

An analysis of the respective organizational histories, missions, and scholarly activity of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology and the Society for Community Research and Action was conducted in order to inform the development of interdisciplinary linkages between members of the two organizations. The analysis revealed many points of shared values and actions, as well as some important differences. Both scholarly organizations developed out of a similar historical and cultural zeitgeist in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The missions emphasize the role of culture/diversity in psychological phenomena, adopting an interdisciplinary orientation, the value of collaboration, the importance of research method and ethics, and the value of action research. However, community psychology generally lacks an adequate treatment of cultural phenomena while cross-cultural psychology often fails to draw on community and participatory methods useful for understanding culture in context. These common roots and differences are examined. Finally, we describe a community based, participatory research and intervention project to address intimate partner violence among Latinos and European-Americans living in Oregon. Analysis of the research process and on some of our initial findings illustrates challenges and potential benefits of an interdisciplinary, cultural community psychology.

Interdisciplinary Research and Phenomenology as Parallel Processes of Consciousness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arvidson, P. Sven

2016-01-01

There are significant parallels between interdisciplinarity and phenomenology. Interdisciplinary conscious processes involve identifying relevant disciplines, evaluating each disciplinary insight, and creating common ground. In an analogous way, phenomenology involves conscious processes of epoché, reduction, and eidetic variation. Each stresses…

Using Interdisciplinary research to enrich teachers and classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warburton, J.; Timm, K.; Huffman, L. T.; Peart, L. W.; Hammond, J.; McMahon, E.

2011-12-01

. Sharing their unique lessons learned and program results, authors will describe how TRE's improve and enrich interdisciplinary science education by connecting teachers, researchers, students, and the public around the globe for involvement in scientific research and global issues.

Interdisciplinary Learning as a Basis for Formation of Intercultural Communicative Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redchenko, Nadezhda N.

2016-01-01

An interdisciplinary approach provides many benefits that warrant the need for its use at technical universities teaching foreign language as an academic discipline. This article reviews recent Russian researches focused on interdisciplinary integration, summarizes advantages and proves overall high efficacy of the interdisciplinary approach to…

SFB 754 - Managing a large interdisciplinary collaborative research centre: what matters?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schelten, Christiane; Antia, Avan; Braker, Gesche; Kamm, Ruth; Mehrtens, Hela

2016-04-01

The German Research Foundation (DFG) funds Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs - in German: Sonderforschungsbereiche SFBs) that are generally applied for by one university, but may also incorporate neighbouring universities or non-university research institutions. SFBs are crossing the boundaries of disciplines, as well as faculties, departments, institutions and institutes. The funding of an SFB can be up to 12 years (3 x 4 years). Kiel University and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel received funding for the SFB 754 'Climate-biogeochemical interactions in the tropical ocean' in 2008. Currently, the centre is in its third phase comprising 17 scientific subprojects, one outreach project, a central coordination and management subproject and a subproject covering the research expeditions with a total project budget of 12 Mio Euro. Around 100 scientists of interdisciplinary research fields (e.g. physical oceanography, micro-biology, palaeontology, chemistry, modelling) are actively involved. Besides generating high profile research, gender equality, early career support and data management are complementary goals of SFBs requested by the DFG. Within the SFB 754 the scientific coordination office is responsible for developing concepts and strategies to cover these additional requirements and over the past eight years the SFB 754 has been successful in setting up profound programmes and various measures. Some of the SFB 754 practices have been taken up by other projects, and hence allowed the SFB 754 to serve as a role model for 'best practice' within marine sciences in Kiel. A main reason for the success of the SFB 754 to work towards the additional goals set out in the DFGs SFB programme is that the project is well tied into existing structures and builds upon outstanding management expertise available in Kiel. Three examples are highlighted here: • young scientists programme (closely linked to a graduate school (Integrated School of Marine Sciences

TR32DB - Management of Research Data in a Collaborative, Interdisciplinary Research Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curdt, Constanze; Hoffmeister, Dirk; Waldhoff, Guido; Lang, Ulrich; Bareth, Georg

2015-04-01

The management of research data in a well-structured and documented manner is essential in the context of collaborative, interdisciplinary research environments (e.g. across various institutions). Consequently, set-up and use of a research data management (RDM) system like a data repository or project database is necessary. These systems should accompany and support scientists during the entire research life cycle (e.g. data collection, documentation, storage, archiving, sharing, publishing) and operate cross-disciplinary in interdisciplinary research projects. Challenges and problems of RDM are well-know. Consequently, the set-up of a user-friendly, well-documented, sustainable RDM system is essential, as well as user support and further assistance. In the framework of the Transregio Collaborative Research Centre 32 'Patterns in Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Systems: Monitoring, Modelling, and Data Assimilation' (CRC/TR32), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), a RDM system was self-designed and implemented. The CRC/TR32 project database (TR32DB, www.tr32db.de) is operating online since early 2008. The TR32DB handles all data, which are created by the involved project participants from several institutions (e.g. Universities of Cologne, Bonn, Aachen, and the Research Centre Jülich) and research fields (e.g. soil and plant sciences, hydrology, geography, geophysics, meteorology, remote sensing). Very heterogeneous research data are considered, which are resulting from field measurement campaigns, meteorological monitoring, remote sensing, laboratory studies and modelling approaches. Furthermore, outcomes like publications, conference contributions, PhD reports and corresponding images are regarded. The TR32DB project database is set-up in cooperation with the Regional Computing Centre of the University of Cologne (RRZK) and also located in this hardware environment. The TR32DB system architecture is composed of three main components: (i) a file-based data

A feasibility study of the provision of a personalized interdisciplinary audiovisual summary to facilitate care transfer care at hospital discharge: Care Transfer Video (CareTV).

PubMed

Newnham, Harvey H; Gibbs, Harry H; Ritchie, Edward S; Hitchcock, Karen I; Nagalingam, Vathy; Hoiles, Andrew; Wallace, Ed; Georgeson, Elizabeth; Holton, Sara

2015-04-01

To assess the feasibility and patient acceptance of a personalized interdisciplinary audiovisual record to facilitate effective communication with patients, family, carers and other healthcare workers at hospital discharge. Descriptive pilot study utilizing a study-specific patient feedback questionnaire conducted from October 2013 to June 2014. Twenty General Medical inpatients being discharged from an Acute General Medical Ward in a metropolitan teaching hospital. Audiovisual record of a CareTV filmed at the patient's bedside by a consultant-led interdisciplinary team, within 24 h prior to discharge from the ward, provided immediately for the patient to take home. Patient surveys were completed within 2 weeks of discharge. Technical quality, utilization, acceptability, patient satisfaction and recall of diagnosis, medication changes and post-discharge review arrangements. All patients had watched their CareTV either alone or in the presence of a variety of others: close family, their GP, a medical specialist, friends or other health personnel. Participating patients had good understanding of the video content and recall of their diagnosis, medication changes and post-discharge plans. Patient feedback was overwhelmingly positive. In the context of a General Medical Unit with extensive experience in interdisciplinary bedside rounding and teamwork, CareTV is simple to implement, inexpensive, technically feasible, requires minimal staff training and is acceptable to patients. The results of this pilot study will inform and indicate the feasibility of conducting a larger randomized control trial of the impact of CareTV on patient satisfaction, medication adherence and recall of key information, and primary healthcare provider satisfaction. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved.

Interdisciplinary Research Index on Play: A Guide to the Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sleet, David A.

This bibliography has as its chief aim: 1) expanding the availability of work related to the theory and research on play through topical listings of books and disciplines; 2) facilitating retrieval of cogent works on play through topical listings of books and articles in specialized disciplines; 3) exposing common research problems and innovative…

The rise of environmental analytical chemistry as an interdisciplinary activity.

PubMed

Brown, Richard

2009-07-01

Modern scientific endeavour is increasingly delivered within an interdisciplinary framework. Analytical environmental chemistry is a long-standing example of an interdisciplinary approach to scientific research where value is added by the close cooperation of different disciplines. This editorial piece discusses the rise of environmental analytical chemistry as an interdisciplinary activity and outlines the scope of the Analytical Chemistry and the Environmental Chemistry domains of TheScientificWorldJOURNAL (TSWJ), and the appropriateness of TSWJ's domain format in covering interdisciplinary research. All contributions of new data, methods, case studies, and instrumentation, or new interpretations and developments of existing data, case studies, methods, and instrumentation, relating to analytical and/or environmental chemistry, to the Analytical and Environmental Chemistry domains, are welcome and will be considered equally.

Qualitative Analysis of the Interdisciplinary Interaction between Data Analysis Specialists and Novice Clinical Researchers

PubMed Central

Zammar, Guilherme Roberto; Shah, Jatin; Bonilauri Ferreira, Ana Paula; Cofiel, Luciana; Lyles, Kenneth W.; Pietrobon, Ricardo

2010-01-01

Background The inherent complexity of statistical methods and clinical phenomena compel researchers with diverse domains of expertise to work in interdisciplinary teams, where none of them have a complete knowledge in their counterpart's field. As a result, knowledge exchange may often be characterized by miscommunication leading to misinterpretation, ultimately resulting in errors in research and even clinical practice. Though communication has a central role in interdisciplinary collaboration and since miscommunication can have a negative impact on research processes, to the best of our knowledge, no study has yet explored how data analysis specialists and clinical researchers communicate over time. Methods/Principal Findings We conducted qualitative analysis of encounters between clinical researchers and data analysis specialists (epidemiologist, clinical epidemiologist, and data mining specialist). These encounters were recorded and systematically analyzed using a grounded theory methodology for extraction of emerging themes, followed by data triangulation and analysis of negative cases for validation. A policy analysis was then performed using a system dynamics methodology looking for potential interventions to improve this process. Four major emerging themes were found. Definitions using lay language were frequently employed as a way to bridge the language gap between the specialties. Thought experiments presented a series of “what if” situations that helped clarify how the method or information from the other field would behave, if exposed to alternative situations, ultimately aiding in explaining their main objective. Metaphors and analogies were used to translate concepts across fields, from the unfamiliar to the familiar. Prolepsis was used to anticipate study outcomes, thus helping specialists understand the current context based on an understanding of their final goal. Conclusion/Significance The communication between clinical researchers and data

A scoping review of interdisciplinary collaboration in addictions education and training.

PubMed

Broyles, Lauren M; Conley, James W; Harding, John D; Gordon, Adam J

2013-01-01

Developing a workforce of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills to collaboratively address the public health crisis of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use is critical for effectively identifying, preventing, and managing AOD conditions and their sequelae. Despite general enthusiasm for interdisciplinary education and training, little is known overall about the nature and outcomes of interdisciplinary collaboration in addictions education and training. We conducted a five-stage scoping review of the literature to provide an eight domain overview of the state of interdisciplinary collaboration in addictions education (ICAE). In our final review of 30 articles, we identified a lack of conceptual and terminological clarity around ICAE but a wide range of learners and professional collaborators in ICAE initiatives, which focused on a variety of AOD topics and used a constellation of didactic, interactive, and service-learning teaching strategies and formats. Although we found limited substantive educational or practice-oriented outcomes available for ICAE initiatives, learner and faculty feedback reflected high enthusiasm for ICAE and widespread perceptions of benefit for improved clinical care. Facilitators and barriers to the implementation of ICAE initiatives occurred at the level of the individual and the institution and ranged from pragmatic to conceptual. Emerging trends in ICAE initiatives included increased application of learning and implementation theory and extension of ICAE into research training. We conclude with recommendations to support ICAE as a new paradigm for addictions education for all health professionals.

Barriers and facilitators to senior centers participating in translational research.

PubMed

Felix, Holly C; Adams, Becky; Cornell, Carol E; Fausett, Jennifer K; Krukowski, Rebecca A; Love, ShaRhonda J; Prewitt, T Elaine; West, Delia Smith

2014-01-01

Senior centers are ideal locations to deliver evidence-based health promotion programs to the rapidly growing population of older Americans to help them remain healthy and independent in the community. However, little reported research is conducted in partnership with senior centers; thus, not much is known about barriers and facilitators for senior centers serving as research sites. To fill this gap and potentially accelerate research within senior centers to enhance translation of evidence-based interventions into practice, the present study examined barriers and facilitators of senior centers invited to participate in a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Primary barriers to participation related to staffing and perceived inability to recruit older adult participants meeting research criteria. The primary facilitator was a desire to offer programs that were of interest and beneficial to seniors. Senior centers are interested in participating in research that provides benefit to older adults but may need assistance from researchers to overcome participation barriers. © The Author(s) 2012.

Leveraging standards to support patient-centric interdisciplinary plans of care.

PubMed

Dykes, Patricia C; DaDamio, Rebecca R; Goldsmith, Denise; Kim, Hyeon-eui; Ohashi, Kumiko; Saba, Virginia K

2011-01-01

As health care systems and providers move towards meaningful use of electronic health records, the once distant vision of collaborative patient-centric, interdisciplinary plans of care, generated and updated across organizations and levels of care, may soon become a reality. Effective care planning is included in the proposed Stages 2-3 Meaningful Use quality measures. To facilitate interoperability, standardization of plan of care messaging, content, information and terminology models are needed. This degree of standardization requires local and national coordination. The purpose of this paper is to review some existing standards that may be leveraged to support development of interdisciplinary patient-centric plans of care. Standards are then applied to a use case to demonstrate one method for achieving patient-centric and interoperable interdisciplinary plan of care documentation. Our pilot work suggests that existing standards provide a foundation for adoption and implementation of patient-centric plans of care that are consistent with federal requirements.

An Examination of Learning Formats on Interdisciplinary Teamwork Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivey, Carole K.; Reed, Evelyn

2011-01-01

Although interdisciplinary teamwork is a recommended practice and important for coordinated interdisciplinary programming in special education, there is limited research on pedagogical practices to prepare professionals to work together effectively. This study examined the effectiveness of a graduate interdisciplinary teamwork course taught…

How to Enhance Interdisciplinary Competence--Interdisciplinary Problem-Based Learning versus Interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brassler, Mirjam; Dettmers, Jan

2017-01-01

Interdisciplinary competence is important in academia for both employability and sustainable development. However, to date, there are no specific interdisciplinary education models and, naturally, no empirical studies to assess them. Since problem-based learning (PBL) and project-based learning (PjBL) are learning approaches that emphasize…

ARCUS Project Managers and the Intangible Infrastructure of Large Interdisciplinary Arctic Research Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, B.; Wiggins, H. V.; Turner-Bogren, E. J.; Warburton, J.

2017-12-01

Project Managers at the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) lead initiatives to convene, communicate with, and connect the Arctic research community across challenging disciplinary, geographic, temporal, and cultural boundaries. They regularly serve as the organizing hubs, archivists and memory-keepers for collaborative projects comprised of many loosely affiliated partners. As leading organizers of large open science meetings and other outreach events, they also monitor the interdisciplinary landscape of community needs, concerns, opportunities, and emerging research directions. However, leveraging the ARCUS Project Manager role to strategically build out the intangible infrastructure necessary to advance Arctic research requires a unique set of knowledge, skills, and experience. Drawing on a range of lessons learned from past and ongoing experiences with collaborative science, education and outreach programming, this presentation will highlight a model of ARCUS project management that we believe works best to support and sustain our community in its long-term effort to conquer the complexities of Arctic research.

Developing the Developers: Supporting and Researching the Learning of Professional Development Facilitators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Emily; Boylan, Mark

2018-01-01

Research on teacher professional development is extensive but there are fewer studies about the practitioners who facilitate professional development. Here we report on a pilot programme for professional development facilitators rooted in a cycle of action research. Informed by a categorisation of professional knowledge and skills of facilitators,…

An interdisciplinary team communication framework and its application to healthcare 'e-teams' systems design

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background There are few studies that examine the processes that interdisciplinary teams engage in and how we can design health information systems (HIS) to support those team processes. This was an exploratory study with two purposes: (1) To develop a framework for interdisciplinary team communication based on structures, processes and outcomes that were identified as having occurred during weekly team meetings. (2) To use the framework to guide 'e-teams' HIS design to support interdisciplinary team meeting communication. Methods An ethnographic approach was used to collect data on two interdisciplinary teams. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data according to structures, processes and outcomes. Results We present details for team meta-concepts of structures, processes and outcomes and the concepts and sub concepts within each meta-concept. We also provide an exploratory framework for interdisciplinary team communication and describe how the framework can guide HIS design to support 'e-teams'. Conclusion The structures, processes and outcomes that describe interdisciplinary teams are complex and often occur in a non-linear fashion. Electronic data support, process facilitation and team video conferencing are three HIS tools that can enhance team function. PMID:19754966

An interdisciplinary team communication framework and its application to healthcare 'e-teams' systems design.

PubMed

Kuziemsky, Craig E; Borycki, Elizabeth M; Purkis, Mary Ellen; Black, Fraser; Boyle, Michael; Cloutier-Fisher, Denise; Fox, Lee Ann; MacKenzie, Patricia; Syme, Ann; Tschanz, Coby; Wainwright, Wendy; Wong, Helen

2009-09-15

There are few studies that examine the processes that interdisciplinary teams engage in and how we can design health information systems (HIS) to support those team processes. This was an exploratory study with two purposes: (1) To develop a framework for interdisciplinary team communication based on structures, processes and outcomes that were identified as having occurred during weekly team meetings. (2) To use the framework to guide 'e-teams' HIS design to support interdisciplinary team meeting communication. An ethnographic approach was used to collect data on two interdisciplinary teams. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data according to structures, processes and outcomes. We present details for team meta-concepts of structures, processes and outcomes and the concepts and sub concepts within each meta-concept. We also provide an exploratory framework for interdisciplinary team communication and describe how the framework can guide HIS design to support 'e-teams'. The structures, processes and outcomes that describe interdisciplinary teams are complex and often occur in a non-linear fashion. Electronic data support, process facilitation and team video conferencing are three HIS tools that can enhance team function.

Squaring Circles: The Gap for Interdisciplinary Trainees in a Discipline-Driven Academy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sibbald, Shannon L.; Peirson, Leslea; Boyko, Jennifer

2015-01-01

The growth of interdisciplinary health services research training programs across Canada has in part been due to acknowledgement of and efforts to bridge a gap between researchers, policy makers and practitioners. Consequently, a new breed of interdisciplinary health services researchers (many of whom have specialization in knowledge translation)…

The UNC-CH MCH Leadership Training Consortium: building the capacity to develop interdisciplinary MCH leaders.

PubMed

Dodds, Janice; Vann, William; Lee, Jessica; Rosenberg, Angela; Rounds, Kathleen; Roth, Marcia; Wells, Marlyn; Evens, Emily; Margolis, Lewis H

2010-07-01

This article describes the UNC-CH MCH Leadership Consortium, a collaboration among five MCHB-funded training programs, and delineates the evolution of the leadership curriculum developed by the Consortium to cultivate interdisciplinary MCH leaders. In response to a suggestion by the MCHB, five MCHB-funded training programs--nutrition, pediatric dentistry, social work, LEND, and public health--created a consortium with four goals shared by these diverse MCH disciplines: (1) train MCH professionals for field leadership; (2) address the special health and social needs of women, infants, children and adolescents, with emphasis on a public health population-based approach; (3) foster interdisciplinary practice; and (4) assure competencies, such as family-centered and culturally competent practice, needed to serve effectively the MCH population. The consortium meets monthly. Its primary task to date has been to create a leadership curriculum for 20-30 master's, doctoral, and post-doctoral trainees to understand how to leverage personal leadership styles to make groups more effective, develop conflict/facilitation skills, and identify and enhance family-centered and culturally competent organizations. What began as an effort merely to understand shared interests around leadership development has evolved into an elaborate curriculum to address many MCH leadership competencies. The collaboration has also stimulated creative interdisciplinary research and practice opportunities for MCH trainees and faculty. MCHB-funded training programs should make a commitment to collaborate around developing leadership competencies that are shared across disciplines in order to enhance interdisciplinary leadership.

The Beer and Biofuels Laboratory: A Report on Implementing and Supporting A Large, Interdisciplinary, Yeast-Focused Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedwell, Rhianna K.; Fraser, James A.; Wang, Jack T. H.; Clegg, Jack K.; Chartres, Jy D.; Rowland, Susan L.

2018-01-01

Course-integrated Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) involve large numbers of students in real research. We describe a late-year microbiology CURE in which students use yeast to address a research question around beer brewing or synthesizing biofuel; the interdisciplinary student-designed project incorporates genetics, bioinformatics,…

Interdisciplinary Studies: A Site for Bridging the Skills Divide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Everett, Michele C.

2016-01-01

This study explores student learning outcomes from an Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies course. The article focuses on students' perceptions of cognitive abilities, skills and attributes developed through participation in an interdisciplinary research and design project. Participants were 50 students enrolled in the course. A pre-post…

How did we make the Interdisciplinary Generalist Curriculum Project work? School-level efforts to facilitate success.

PubMed

Matson, C; Davis, A; Steinkohl, D C; Blavo, C

2001-04-01

This article examines how the schools funded by the Interdisciplinary Generalist Curriculum (IGC) Project handled the process of planning and implementing their proposals; incorporated the IGC requirements as templates for changes in educational programs and organizational infrastructures; and identified key educational and management issues that emerged over time. How collaboration flourished at each IGC school was the central functional ingredient for successful implementation. Shared power and support from the dean were essential for success. The need for excellent channels of communication among all constituencies in the process of curricular change cannot be overemphasized. The most common approach was the addition of the new interdisciplinary clinical curriculum to the existing, usually discipline-based, curriculum, with attempts to establish integrative horizontal connections among concurrent courses in years one and two. The integration, sequencing, and correlating of basic science and clinical material occupied much of the IGC course directors' time in the early stages. Several approaches were used to help ensure a beneficial initial clinical experience for medical students, while accepting that a uniform experience for all students was not attainable or necessary. Encouraging active learning on the part of students was a goal of IGC schools' planning in and of itself. The splash of establishing interdisciplinary communication structures and greater melding of disciplinary cultures that occurred at and among the IGC schools appeared to lead to ripple effects that were recognized within the first year of planning and early implementation.

Barriers and Facilitators of Utilizing Research Among Nurses in Nepal.

PubMed

Kc, Srijana; Subramaniam, Prithwi Raj; Paudel, Sarita

2016-04-01

This study determined the perceived barriers to and facilitators of Nepalese nurses in utilizing research in the workplace. Evidence-based nursing practice provides the synergy for high-quality patient care, but it does not seem to be the case in underdeveloped countries, such as Nepal. A descriptive, cross-sectional study involving 97 nurses from Nepal was conducted. Data were collected using the BARRIERS Scale and a facilitator questionnaire. The top three barriers to research utilization in Nepalese nurses are (a) research reports and articles are not readily available (80.5%), (b) inadequate facilities for implementation (75.3%), and (c) research reports and articles are not published fast enough (71.6%). The top three facilitators perceived to encourage Nepalese nurses to utilize or participate in research are (a) initiation of nursing research projects (27.4%), (b) educational update on research methods (16.7%), and (c) provision of funding for research (15.5%). Findings from this study mirror the barriers to research utilization experienced by nurses in other countries. Macro- and micro-level support are needed to foster a culture of evidence-based practice among Nepalese nurses to empower them in making informed decisions based on research in providing quality patient care. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

A framework for analyzing interdisciplinary tasks: implications for student learning and curricular design.

PubMed

Gouvea, Julia Svoboda; Sawtelle, Vashti; Geller, Benjamin D; Turpen, Chandra

2013-06-01

The national conversation around undergraduate science instruction is calling for increased interdisciplinarity. As these calls increase, there is a need to consider the learning objectives of interdisciplinary science courses and how to design curricula to support those objectives. We present a framework that can help support interdisciplinary design research. We developed this framework in an introductory physics for life sciences majors (IPLS) course for which we designed a series of interdisciplinary tasks that bridge physics and biology. We illustrate how this framework can be used to describe the variation in the nature and degree of interdisciplinary interaction in tasks, to aid in redesigning tasks to better align with interdisciplinary learning objectives, and finally, to articulate design conjectures that posit how different characteristics of these tasks might support or impede interdisciplinary learning objectives. This framework will be useful for both curriculum designers and education researchers seeking to understand, in more concrete terms, what interdisciplinary learning means and how integrated science curricula can be designed to support interdisciplinary learning objectives.

A Framework for Analyzing Interdisciplinary Tasks: Implications for Student Learning and Curricular Design

PubMed Central

Gouvea, Julia Svoboda; Sawtelle, Vashti; Geller, Benjamin D.; Turpen, Chandra

2013-01-01

The national conversation around undergraduate science instruction is calling for increased interdisciplinarity. As these calls increase, there is a need to consider the learning objectives of interdisciplinary science courses and how to design curricula to support those objectives. We present a framework that can help support interdisciplinary design research. We developed this framework in an introductory physics for life sciences majors (IPLS) course for which we designed a series of interdisciplinary tasks that bridge physics and biology. We illustrate how this framework can be used to describe the variation in the nature and degree of interdisciplinary interaction in tasks, to aid in redesigning tasks to better align with interdisciplinary learning objectives, and finally, to articulate design conjectures that posit how different characteristics of these tasks might support or impede interdisciplinary learning objectives. This framework will be useful for both curriculum designers and education researchers seeking to understand, in more concrete terms, what interdisciplinary learning means and how integrated science curricula can be designed to support interdisciplinary learning objectives. PMID:23737627

An Interdisciplinary Model for Connecting Writing, Psychology, and Printmaking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Staci

2015-01-01

This article presents an effective model for a manageable interdisciplinary project that shows students the connections among art, English, and other disciplines; gives composition students an external audience for their writing; and emphasizes the importance of research in the process of creating arguments and art. This interdisciplinary project…

Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Librarian Involvement in Grant Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brandenburg, Marci D.; Cordell, Sigrid Anderson; Joque, Justin; MacEachern, Mark P.; Song, Jean

2017-01-01

Librarians are excellent research collaborators, although librarian participation is not usually considered, thereby making access to research funds difficult. The University of Michigan Library became involved in the university's novel funding program, MCubed, which supported innovative interdisciplinary research on campus, primarily by funding…

Electronic health records to facilitate clinical research.

PubMed

Cowie, Martin R; Blomster, Juuso I; Curtis, Lesley H; Duclaux, Sylvie; Ford, Ian; Fritz, Fleur; Goldman, Samantha; Janmohamed, Salim; Kreuzer, Jörg; Leenay, Mark; Michel, Alexander; Ong, Seleen; Pell, Jill P; Southworth, Mary Ross; Stough, Wendy Gattis; Thoenes, Martin; Zannad, Faiez; Zalewski, Andrew

2017-01-01

Electronic health records (EHRs) provide opportunities to enhance patient care, embed performance measures in clinical practice, and facilitate clinical research. Concerns have been raised about the increasing recruitment challenges in trials, burdensome and obtrusive data collection, and uncertain generalizability of the results. Leveraging electronic health records to counterbalance these trends is an area of intense interest. The initial applications of electronic health records, as the primary data source is envisioned for observational studies, embedded pragmatic or post-marketing registry-based randomized studies, or comparative effectiveness studies. Advancing this approach to randomized clinical trials, electronic health records may potentially be used to assess study feasibility, to facilitate patient recruitment, and streamline data collection at baseline and follow-up. Ensuring data security and privacy, overcoming the challenges associated with linking diverse systems and maintaining infrastructure for repeat use of high quality data, are some of the challenges associated with using electronic health records in clinical research. Collaboration between academia, industry, regulatory bodies, policy makers, patients, and electronic health record vendors is critical for the greater use of electronic health records in clinical research. This manuscript identifies the key steps required to advance the role of electronic health records in cardiovascular clinical research.

Herbert Simon and the GSIA: building an interdisciplinary community.

PubMed

Crowther-Heyck, Hunter

2006-01-01

This article explores Herbert Simon's attempts to build Carnegie Tech's Graduate School of Industrial Administration into a center for interdisciplinary social research. It shows that despite the pressures toward disciplinary specialization created by the rapid growth of the postwar social sciences, there were strong countercurrents supporting interdisciplinary work. Support for interdisciplinary work came from a network of powerful new patrons that were interested in transforming social science into behavioral science and that supported mathematical, behavioral-functional analysis whatever the topic of study. These patrons deliberately defined their goals in terms of solving problems, not building disciplines, and the networks of advisory committees they created enabled certain entrepreneurial researchers, such as Simon, to exert influence across a range of fields and institutions. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Interdisciplinary collaboration in action: tracking the signal, tracing the noise

PubMed Central

Callard, Felicity; Fitzgerald, Des; Woods, Angela

2016-01-01

Interdisciplinarity is often framed as an unquestioned good within and beyond the academy, one to be encouraged by funders and research institutions alike. And yet there is little research on how interdisciplinary projects actually work—and do not work—in practice, particularly within and across the social sciences and humanities. This article centres on “Hubbub”, the first interdisciplinary 2-year research residency of The Hub at Wellcome Collection, which is investigating rest and its opposites in neuroscience, mental health, the arts and the everyday. The article describes how Hubbub is tracing, capturing and reflecting on practices of interdisciplinarity across its large, dispersed team of collaborators, who work across the social sciences, humanities, arts, mind and brain sciences, and public engagement. We first describe the distinctiveness of Hubbub (a project designed for a particular space, and one in which the arts are not positioned as simply illustrating or disseminating the research of the scientists), and then outline three techniques Hubbub has developed to map interdisciplinary collaboration in the making: (1) ethnographic analysis; (2) “In the Diary Room”, an aesthetics of collaboration designed to harness and capture affective dynamics within a large, complex project; and (3) the Hubbub Collaboration Questionnaire, which yields quantitative and qualitative data, as well as a social network analysis of collaborators. We conclude by considering some themes that other inter-disciplinary projects might draw on for their own logics of tracking and tracing. This article forms part of an ongoing thematic collection dedicated to interdisciplinary research. PMID:27516896

Geography and Geographical Information Science: Interdisciplinary Integrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellul, Claire

2015-01-01

To understand how Geography and Geographical Information Science (GIS) can contribute to Interdisciplinary Research (IDR), it is relevant to articulate the differences between the different types of such research. "Multidisciplinary" researchers work in a "parallel play" mode, completing work in their disciplinary work streams…

Developing an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral community of practice in the domain of forests and livelihoods.

PubMed

Watkins, Cristy; Zavaleta, Jennifer; Wilson, Sarah; Francisco, Scott

2018-02-01

Although significant resources are being spent researching and fostering the relationship between forests and livelihoods to promote mutually beneficial outcomes, critical gaps in understanding persist. A core reason for such gaps is that researchers, practitioners, and policy makers lack the structured space to interact and collaborate, which is essential for effective, interdisciplinary research, practice, and evaluation. Thus, scientific findings, policy recommendations, and measured outcomes have not always been synthesized into deep, systemic understanding; learning from practice and implementation does not easily find its way into scientific analyses, and science often fails to influence policy. Communities of practice (CofPs) are dynamic sociocultural systems that bring people together to share and create knowledge around a common topic of interest. They offer participants a space and structure within which to develop new, systemic approaches to multidimensional problems on a common theme. Uniquely informed by a systems-thinking perspective and drawing from the scientific and gray literatures and in-depth interviews with representatives of established CofPs in the natural resource management and development domain, we argue that a well-designed and adequately funded CofP can facilitate interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral relationships and knowledge exchange. Well-designed CofPs integrate a set of core features and processes to enhance individual, collective, and domain outcomes; they set out an initial but evolving purpose, encourage diverse leadership, and promote collective-identity development. Funding facilitates effective communication strategies (e.g., in person meetings). We urge our colleagues across sectors and disciplines to take advantage of CofPs to advance the domain of forests and livelihoods. © 2017 Society for Conservation Biology.

The role of interdisciplinary research team in the impact of health apps in health and computer science publications: a systematic review.

PubMed

Molina Recio, Guillermo; García-Hernández, Laura; Molina Luque, Rafael; Salas-Morera, Lorenzo

2016-07-15

Several studies have estimated the potential economic and social impact of the mHealth development. Considering the latest study by Institute for Healthcare Informatics, more than 165.000 apps of health and medicine are offered including all the stores from different platforms. Thus, the global mHealth market was an estimated $10.5 billion in 2014 and is expected to grow 33.5 percent annually between 2015 and 2020s. In fact, apps of Health have become the third-fastest growing category, only after games and utilities. This study aims to identify, study and evaluate the role of interdisciplinary research teams in the development of articles and applications in the field of mHealth. It also aims to evaluate the impact that the development of mHealth has had on the health and computer science field, through the study of publications in specific databases for each area which have been published until nowadays. Interdisciplinary nature is strongly connected to the scientific quality of the journal in which the work is published. This way, there are significant differences in those works that are made up by an interdisciplinary research team because of they achieve to publish in journals with higher quartiles. There are already studies that warn of methodological deficits in some studies in mHealth, low accuracy and no reproducibility. Studies of low precision and poor reproducibility, coupled with the low evidence, provide low degrees of recommendation of the interventions targeted and therefore low applicability. From the evidence of this study, working in interdisciplinary groups from different areas greatly enhances the quality of research work as well as the quality of the publications derived from its results.

Views from many worlds: unsettling categories in interdisciplinary research on endemic zoonotic diseases

PubMed Central

Waldman, Linda

2017-01-01

Interdisciplinary research on zoonotic disease has tended to focus on ‘risk’ of disease transmission as a conceptual common denominator. With reference to endemic zoonoses at the livestock–human interface, we argue for considering a broader sweep of disciplinary insights from anthropology and other social sciences in interdisciplinary dialogue, in particular cross-cultural perspectives on human–animal engagement. We consider diverse worldviews where human–animal encounters are perceived of in terms of the kinds of social relations they generate, and the notion of culture is extended to the ‘natural’ world. This has implications for how animals are valued, treated and prioritized. Thinking differently with and about animals and about species' boundaries could enable ways of addressing zoonotic diseases which have closer integration with people's own cultural norms. If we can bring this kind of knowledge into One Health debates, we find ourselves with a multiplicity of worldviews, where bounded categories such as human:animal and nature:culture cannot be assumed. This might in turn influence our scientific ways of seeing our own disciplinary cultures, and generate novel ways of understanding zoonoses and constructing solutions. This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being’. PMID:28584178

[Psychiatry and interdisciplinary research. Value of a systems approach].

PubMed

Marchais, P; Randrup, A

1986-02-01

Interdisciplinary research is particularly difficult, because of the different frames of reference used in the individual disciplines. Psychiatry by itself show already the complexity of the current methodological situation. A fundamental epistemological problem is posed by the unity and uniqueness of the patient as opposed to the multiple-faceted traits and experiences presented to the observer. The authors show the utility of the systems concept for solution of these difficulties. They depict the characteristics of "the systemal method", the way it is employed and its many applications in the clinic as well as in pharmacology, neurochemistry, neurophysiology and ethology. The systemal approach allows comparison and integration of data and results from various disciplines by means of the concepts "homology" and "isomorphism", and may thus contribute to progress in the study of biological psychiatry. It also makes it possible to regard the organism as an ensemble of sub-systems in interaction with its environment. Finally, because of its logicomathematical foundation, the systemal approach lends itself readily to application of computer techniques.

Human genetic research, race, ethnicity and the labeling of populations: recommendations based on an interdisciplinary workshop in Japan.

PubMed

Takezawa, Yasuko; Kato, Kazuto; Oota, Hiroki; Caulfield, Timothy; Fujimoto, Akihiro; Honda, Shunwa; Kamatani, Naoyuki; Kawamura, Shoji; Kawashima, Kohei; Kimura, Ryosuke; Matsumae, Hiromi; Saito, Ayako; Savage, Patrick E; Seguchi, Noriko; Shimizu, Keiko; Terao, Satoshi; Yamaguchi-Kabata, Yumi; Yasukouchi, Akira; Yoneda, Minoru; Tokunaga, Katsushi

2014-04-23

A challenge in human genome research is how to describe the populations being studied. The use of improper and/or imprecise terms has the potential to both generate and reinforce prejudices and to diminish the clinical value of the research. The issue of population descriptors has not attracted enough academic attention outside North America and Europe. In January 2012, we held a two-day workshop, the first of its kind in Japan, to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue between scholars in the humanities, social sciences, medical sciences, and genetics to begin an ongoing discussion of the social and ethical issues associated with population descriptors. Through the interdisciplinary dialogue, we confirmed that the issue of race, ethnicity and genetic research has not been extensively discussed in certain Asian communities and other regions. We have found, for example, the continued use of the problematic term, "Mongoloid" or continental terms such as "European," "African," and "Asian," as population descriptors in genetic studies. We, therefore, introduce guidelines for reporting human genetic studies aimed at scientists and researchers in these regions. We need to anticipate the various potential social and ethical problems entailed in population descriptors. Scientists have a social responsibility to convey their research findings outside of their communities as accurately as possible, and to consider how the public may perceive and respond to the descriptors that appear in research papers and media articles.

"It takes a village" to raise research productivity: impact of a Trauma Interdisciplinary Group for Research at an urban, Level 1 trauma center.

PubMed

NeSmith, Elizabeth G; Medeiros, Regina S; Ferdinand, Colville H B; Hawkins, Michael L; Holsten, Steven B; Zhu, Haidong; Dong, Yanbin

2013-07-01

Few interdisciplinary research groups include basic scientists, pharmacists, therapists, nutritionists, laboratory technicians, as well as trauma patients and families, in addition to clinicians. Increasing interprofessional diversity within scientific teams working to improve trauma care is a goal of national organizations and federal funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This article describes the design, implementation, and outcomes of a Trauma Interdisciplinary Group for Research (TIGR) at a Level 1 trauma center as it relates to increasing research productivity, with specific examples excerpted from an ongoing NIH-funded study. We used a pretest/posttest design with objectives aimed at measuring increases in research productivity following a targeted intervention. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis was used to develop the intervention, which included research skill-building activities, accomplished by adding multidisciplinary investigators to an existing NIH-funded project. The NIH project aimed to test the hypothesis that accelerated biologic aging from chronic stress increases baseline inflammation and reduces inflammatory response to trauma (projected n = 150). Pre-TIGR/post-TIGR data related to participant screening, recruitment, consent, and research processes were compared. Research productivity was measured through abstracts, publications, and investigator-initiated projects. Research products increased from 12 to 42 (approximately 400%). Research proposals for federal funding increased from 0 to 3, with success rate of 66%. Participant screenings for the NIH-funded study increased from 40 to 313. Consents increased from 14 to 70. Laboratory service fees were reduced from $300 per participant to $5 per participant. Adding diversity to our scientific team via TIGR was exponentially successful in (1) improving research productivity, (2) reducing research costs, and (3) increasing research

Exploring Parental Involvement Strategies Utilized by Middle School Interdisciplinary Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robbins, Chris; Searby, Linda

2013-01-01

Adolescents present a unique collection of characteristics and challenges which middle school interdisciplinary teams were designed to address. This article describes a research study which explored parental involvement strategies employed by interdisciplinary teaching teams from three very different middle schools: an affluent suburban school, a…

Facilitating Lecturer Development and Student Learning through Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Westhuizen, C. N.

2008-01-01

The aim of the action research project is to improve my own practice as research methodology lecturer to facilitate effective student learning to enable students to become reflective practitioners with responsibility for their own professional development through action research in their own classrooms, and to motivate the students and increase…

Action Research Facilitated by University-School Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuan, Rui; Lee, Icy

2015-01-01

While Action Research (AR) is promoted as a powerful route for teachers' professional development, different contextual challenges may arise during the process; teachers may be helped to overcome these challenges with the guidance of external facilitators. Drawing on data from interviews and the teachers' AR reports, this article explores how two…

Framework conditions facilitating paediatric clinical research

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

The use of unlicensed and "off-label" medicines in children is widespread. Between 50-80% of the medicines currently administered to children have neither been tested nor authorized for their use in the paediatric population which represents approximately 25% of the whole European population. On 26 January 2007, entered into force the European Regulation of Paediatric Medicines. It aims at the quality of research into medicines for children but without subjecting the paediatric population to unnecessary clinical trial. This article addresses ethical and legal issues arising from the regulation and makes recommendations for the framework conditions facilitating the development of clinical research with children. PMID:21345195

A comprehensive space management model for facilitating programmatic research.

PubMed

Libecap, Ann; Wormsley, Steven; Cress, Anne; Matthews, Mary; Souza, Angie; Joiner, Keith A

2008-03-01

In FY04, the authors developed and implemented models to manage existing and incremental research space, and to facilitate programmatic research, at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Benchmarks were set for recovery of total sponsored research dollars and for facilities and administrative (F&A) dollars/net square foot (nsf) of space, based on college-wide metrics. Benchmarks were applied to units (departments, centers), rather than to individual faculty. Performance relative to the benchmark was assessed using three-year moving averages, and applied to existing blocks of space. Space was recaptured or allocated, in all cases to programmatic themes, using uniform policies. F&A revenues were returned on the basis of performance relative to a benchmark. During the first two years after implementation of the model (FY05 and FY06), and for the 24 units occupying research space, median total sponsored research revenue/nsf increased from $393.96 to $474.46 (20.4%), and median F&A revenue/nsf increased from $57.42 to $91.86 (60.0%). These large increases in median values are driven primarily from redistribution and recapturing of space. Recruiting policies for unit heads were developed to facilitate joint hires among units. In combination, these policies created a comprehensive space management model for facilitating programmatic research. Although challenges remain in implementing the programmatic recruitment strategy, and selected modifications to the original policy were introduced later (e.g., research space for newly recruited junior faculty is now exempted from calculations for three years), overall, the models have created a climate of transparency that is now accepted and that allows efficient and equitable management of research space.

Building connected data standards to promote interdisciplinary research in the paleogeosciences- PalEON, Neotoma, THROUGHPUT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goring, S. J.; Richard, S. M.; Williams, J. W.; Dawson, A.

2017-12-01

A broad array of data resources, across disciplines, are needed to study Earth system processes operating at multiple spatial or temporal scales. Data friction frequently delays this integrative and interdisciplinary research, while sustainable solutions may be hampered as a result of academic incentives that penalize technical "tool building" at the expense of research publication. The paleogeosciences, in particular, often integrate data drawn from multiple sub-disciplines and from a range of long-tail and big data sources. Data friction can be lowered and the pace of scientific discovery accelerated through the development and adoption of data standards, both within the paleogeosciences and with allied disciplines. Using the PalEON Project (https://sites.nd.edu/paleonproject/) and the Neotoma Paleoecological Database (https://neotomadb.org) as focal case studies, we first illustrate the advances possible through data standardization. We then focus on new efforts in data standardization and building linkages among paleodata resources underway through the EarthCube-funded Throughput project. A first step underway is to analyze existing standards across paleo-data repositories and identify ways in which the adoption of common standards can promote connectivity, reducing barriers to interdisciplinary research, especially for early career researchers. Experience indicates that standards tend to emerge by necessity and from a mixture of bottom-up and top-down processes. A common pathway is when conventions developed to solve specific problems within a community are extended to address challenges that are more general. The Throughput project will identify, document, and promote such solutions to foster wider adoption of standards for data interchange and reduce data friction in the paleogeosciences.

Developing an evidence base for interdisciplinary learning: a systematic review.

PubMed

Cooper, H; Carlisle, C; Gibbs, T; Watkins, C

2001-07-01

The overall aim of the study was to explore the feasibility of introducing interdisciplinary education within undergraduate health professional programmes. This paper reports on the first stage of the study in which a systematic review was conducted to summarize the evidence for interdisciplinary education of undergraduate health professional students. Systematic reviews integrate valid information providing a basis for rational decision making about health care which should be based on empirical and not anecdotal evidence. The accepted principles for systematic reviews were adapted in order to allow integration of the literature to produce recommendations for educational practice and guidelines for future research. The literature on interdisciplinary education was found to be diverse, including relatively small amounts of research data and much larger amounts of evaluation literature. Methodological rating schemes were used to test for confounding influences in the research studies. The number of studies found was 141 but only 30 (21%) were included in the analysis because of lack of methodological rigour in the research and poorly developed outcome measures. Student health professionals were found to benefit from interdisciplinary education with outcome effects primarily relating to changes in knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs. Effects upon professional practice were not discernible and educational and psychological theories were rarely used to guide the development of the educational interventions.

Using collaborative research to facilitate student learning.

PubMed

Thompson, C J; McNeill, J A; Sherwood, G D; Starck, P L

2001-08-01

Developing research partnerships between academia and the service sector is an innovative way to meet the demand for high-quality, cost-effective, and clinically oriented research. Undergraduate student participation in clinical research is an educational strategy to facilitate positive mindsets toward research. This article outlines the methodological steps in recruiting and training undergraduate students for clinical research teams to benefit nurse educators, nurse researchers, students, and institutional partners. Student volunteers collected data for a study examining patient satisfaction with pain management practices. The research proposal was used to demonstrate principles of the research process and to familiarize the students with the study. A detailed study protocol guided the entire team through the project. Student sensitivity to pain assessment and management was enhanced. Learning the research process and the students' appreciation for the rigors of research were reinforced using this experiential model. Student evaluation of the research experience is presented.

Crossing Boundaries: Selecting for Research, Professional Development and Consumer Education in an Interdisciplinary Field, the Case of Mental Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pettijohn, Patricia

2004-01-01

Both the demand for, and supply of, mental health information has increased across all sectors. Academic, public and special libraries must locate, evaluate and select materials that support consumer education, academic teaching, interdisciplinary research, and professional credentialing. Selectors must navigate disciplinary barriers to develop…

Environmental implications of coal development: an interdisciplinary research team approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barker, W.T.; Brun, L.; Enz, J.

In May, 1974 a team of researchers from North Dakota State University launched a project aimed at investigating The Implications of Coal Development on the Atmospheric Environment and Plant Ecosystems of Selected Sites in Western North Dakota. It was an interdisciplinary effort of four basic study areas, namely: Soils, Climatology, Engineering, and Botany. Support was provided by the US Forest Service, USDA, under a Surface Environment and Mining (SEAM) cooperative agreement with the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. The investigations, which lasted 4-1/2 years, were designed to accomplish three primary objectives. First was to analyze the frequency, intensity, and durationmore » of low-level radiation inversions in western North Dakota. The second was to determine the probable dispersion of wastes to the atmosphere from various theoretical operational levels and types of coal development in the specified area. Lastly was evaluation of the effects of probable changes in air quality on the plant ecosystems in the area.« less

Understanding Interdisciplinarity: Curricular and Organizational Features of Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, David B.; Lattuca, Lisa R.; Kimball, Ezekiel W.; Reason, Robert D.

2013-01-01

Though the number of interdisciplinary undergraduate programs has increased rapidly over the past several decades, little empirical research has characterized such programs. In this article we report on our investigation of the characteristics of interdisciplinary programs and develop typologies to describe the multiple ways in which such programs…

Personal Finance: An Interdisciplinary Profession

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schuchardt, Jane; Bagwell, Dorothy C; Bailey, William C.; DeVaney, Sharon A.; Grable, John E.; Leech, Irene E.; Lown, Jean M.; Sharpe, Deanna L.; Xiao, Jing J.

2007-01-01

This commentary recommends that financial counseling and planning research, education, and practice be framed as an interdisciplinary profession called personal finance. Authors summarize the history of the profession and key theories providing the conceptual foundation. In order for the emerging profession of personal finance to achieve…

Using Gemba Boards to Facilitate Evidence-Based Practice in Critical Care.

PubMed

Bourgault, Annette M; Upvall, Michele J; Graham, Alison

2018-06-01

Tradition-based practices lack supporting research evidence and may be harmful or ineffective. Engagement of key stakeholders is a critical step toward facilitating evidence-based practice change. Gemba , derived from Japanese, refers to the real place where work is done. Gemba boards (visual management tools) appear to be an innovative method to engage stakeholders and facilitate evidence-based practice. To explore the use of gemba boards and gemba huddles to facilitate practice change. Twenty-two critical care nurses participated in interviews in this qualitative, descriptive study. Thematic analysis was used to code and categorize interview data. Two researchers reached consensus on coding and derived themes. Data were managed with qualitative analysis software. The code gemba occurred most frequently; a secondary analysis was performed to explore its impact on practice change. Four themes were derived from the gemba code: (1) facilitation of staff, leadership, and interdisciplinary communication, (2) transparency of outcome data, (3) solicitation of staff ideas and feedback, and (4) dissemination of practice changes. Gemba boards and gemba huddles became part of the organizational culture for promoting and disseminating evidence-based practices. Unit-based, publicly located gemba boards and huddles have become key components of evidence-based practice culture. Gemba is both a tool and a process to engage team members and the public to generate clinical questions and to plan, implement, and evaluate practice changes. Future research on the effectiveness of gemba boards to facilitate evidence-based practice is warranted. ©2018 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Gender and Disciplinary Differences in Experiences with Interdisciplinary Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borrego, Maura; Creamer, Elizabeth G.

This work directly compares three explanations for differences in experiences of interdisciplinary research collaborators using a sample of 347 academics from 144 different research intensive and extensive universities in the United States who were awarded funding from the same directorate of the National Science Foundation. The findings provide a much more positive view of interdisciplinary collaboration than is routinely found in the literature. Despite varied disciplinary backgrounds, members of the sample are extremely satisfied with their experiences with interdisciplinary collaboration and have much more in common than they differ in their attitudes and experiences, including how they meet collaborators, the difficulties they have encountered, their approach to the division of labor, and their interest in collaboration as a venue for learning. Findings dispute the stereotype that the relational element of collaboration is significantly more salient for women than it is for men.

Perceptions of Interdisciplinary Communication Among Correctional Health Care Providers.

PubMed

Costa, Christine; Lusk, Pamela

2017-01-01

Collaborative practice is a health care standard that improves patient outcomes through maximizing the use of resources and mutual work of all health care providers. Since collaborative practice depends on interdisciplinary communication, effective communication training for health care participants is imperative for success. This article presents the results of research that studied perceptions of interdisciplinary communication and collaborative practice among 24 health care personnel in three correctional facilities in Orange County, California. The research explored different approaches in terms of team structure, mutual support, situation monitoring, leadership, and communication practices. The study used questionnaires to examine the perceptions of teamwork and interdisciplinary communication and how they can be impacted by one educational session. The study results are discussed in terms of modern approaches to health care, including evidence-based practice, along with nationwide initiatives for improving the health of inmates with psychiatric issues.

Strategies used by interdisciplinary rural health training programs to assure community responsiveness and recruit practitioners.

PubMed

Slack, Marion K; Cummings, Doyle M; Borrego, Matthew E; Fuller, Kathi; Cook, Sherrie

2002-05-01

In this article, the strategies used by five US rural interdisciplinary training grant programs to respond to local needs and to promote recruitment in rural communities are described. The programs provide training to 17 health care disciplines and serve disadvantaged Hispanic, African-American, Amish, Native American, and Anglo populations. Four programs are based in academic institutions; one is based in a community health center. The programs provide services to the rural communities through individual clinical or case management services, population-level interventions, and collaborative research. All programs use specific mechanisms (e.g. case conferences or participation in local coalitions) to facilitate collaboration with residents and to link student activities with community or individual needs. Unique strategies include the use of problem-based learning and community health workers on the interdisciplinary team to increase responsiveness. The programs also provide educational support to students while they work in the rural communities. Finally, the primary strategy used to promote recruitment is the training experience in rural communities. The programs also appear to indirectly improve the environment of rural practice.

Human genetic research, race, ethnicity and the labeling of populations: recommendations based on an interdisciplinary workshop in Japan

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background A challenge in human genome research is how to describe the populations being studied. The use of improper and/or imprecise terms has the potential to both generate and reinforce prejudices and to diminish the clinical value of the research. The issue of population descriptors has not attracted enough academic attention outside North America and Europe. In January 2012, we held a two-day workshop, the first of its kind in Japan, to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue between scholars in the humanities, social sciences, medical sciences, and genetics to begin an ongoing discussion of the social and ethical issues associated with population descriptors. Discussion Through the interdisciplinary dialogue, we confirmed that the issue of race, ethnicity and genetic research has not been extensively discussed in certain Asian communities and other regions. We have found, for example, the continued use of the problematic term, “Mongoloid” or continental terms such as “European,” “African,” and “Asian,” as population descriptors in genetic studies. We, therefore, introduce guidelines for reporting human genetic studies aimed at scientists and researchers in these regions. Conclusion We need to anticipate the various potential social and ethical problems entailed in population descriptors. Scientists have a social responsibility to convey their research findings outside of their communities as accurately as possible, and to consider how the public may perceive and respond to the descriptors that appear in research papers and media articles. PMID:24758583

Long-Term Network Experiments and Interdisciplinary Campaigns Conducted by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodrich, D. C.; Kustas, W. P.; Cosh, M. H.; Moran, S. M.; Marks, D. G.; Jackson, T. J.; Bosch, D. D.; Rango, A.; Seyfried, M. S.; Scott, R. L.; Prueger, J. H.; Starks, P. J.; Walbridge, M. R.

2014-12-01

The USDA-Agricultural Research Service has led, or been integrally involved in, a myriad of interdisciplinary field campaigns in a wide range of locations both nationally and internationally. Many of the shorter campaigns were anchored over the existing national network of ARS Experimental Watersheds and Rangelands. These long-term outdoor laboratories provided a critical knowledge base for designing the campaigns as well as historical data, hydrologic and meteorological infrastructure coupled with shop, laboratory, and visiting scientist facilities. This strong outdoor laboratory base enabled cost-efficient campaigns informed by historical context, local knowledge, and detailed existing watershed characterization. These long-term experimental facilities have also enabled much longer term lower intensity experiments, observing and building an understanding of both seasonal and inter-annual biosphere-hydrosphere-atmosphere interactions across a wide range of conditions. A sampling of these experiments include MONSOON'90, SGP97, SGP99, Washita'92, Washita'94, SMEX02-05 and JORNEX series of experiments, SALSA, CLASIC and longer-term efforts over the ARS Little Washita, Walnut Gulch, Little River, Reynolds Creek, and OPE3 Experimental Watersheds. This presentation will review some of the highlights and key findings of these campaigns and long-term efforts including the inclusion of many of the experimental watersheds and ranges in the Long-Term Agro-ecosystems Research (LTAR) network. The LTAR network also contains several locations that are also part of other observational networks including the CZO, LTER, and NEON networks. Lessons learned will also be provided for scientists initiating their participation in large-scale, multi-site interdisciplinary science.

Undergraduate engineering students' experiences of interdisciplinary learning: a phenomenographic perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Ming-Chien

Engineers are expected to work with people with different disciplinary knowledge to solve real-world problems that are inherently complex, which is one of the reasons that interdisciplinary learning has become a common pedagogical practice in engineering education. However, empirical evidence on the impact of interdisciplinary learning on undergraduates is lacking. Regardless of the differences in the scope of methods used to assess interdisciplinary learning, frameworks of interdisciplinary learning are imperative for developing attainable outcomes as well as interpreting assessment data. Existing models of interdisciplinary learning have been either conceptual or based on research faculty members' experiences rather than empirical data. The study addressed the gap by exploring the different ways that undergraduate engineering students experience interdisciplinary learning. A phenomenographic methodological framework was used to guide the design, data collection, and data analysis of the study. Twenty-two undergraduate engineering students with various interdisciplinary learning experiences were interviewed using semi-structured protocols. They concretely described their experiences and reflected meaning associated with those experiences. Analysis of the data revealed eight qualitatively different ways that students experience interdisciplinary learning, which include: interdisciplinary learning as (A) no awareness of differences, (B) control and assertion, (C) coping with differences, (D) navigating creative differences, (E) learning from differences, (F) bridging differences, (G) expanding intellectual boundaries, and (H) commitment to holistic perspectives. Categories D through H represent a hierarchical structure of increasingly comprehensive way of experiencing interdisciplinary learning. Further analysis uncovered two themes that varied throughout the categories: (i) engagement with differences and (ii) purpose and integration. Students whose experiences lie

BURECS: An Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Climate Science Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dennis, D. P.; Marchant, D. R.; Christ, A. J.; Ehrenfeucht, S.

2017-12-01

The current structure of many undergraduate programs, particularly those at large research universities, requires students to engage with a major or academic emphasis early in their university careers. This oftentimes curbs exploration outside the major and can inhibit interdisciplinary collaboration. The Boston University Research Education and Communication of Science (BURECS) program seeks to bridge this institutional divide by fostering interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaboration on climate change-related issues by students from across Boston University (B.U.). Every year, approximately fifteen first-year students from B.U.'s College of Arts and Sciences, College of Communication, and School of Education are selected to join BURECS, which includes a climate science seminar, a hands-on lab course, a supported summer internship with Boston-area researchers, and the opportunity to participate in Antarctic field work during subsequent B.U. Antarctic Research Group expeditions. Currently in its third year, BURECS is funded through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Professors Program.

Curbing the lifestyle disease pandemic: making progress on an interdisciplinary research agenda for law and policy interventions.

PubMed

Toebes, Brigit; Hesselman, Marlies; van Dijk, Jitse P; Herman, Joost

2017-09-18

By 2030, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) will be the leading cause of death in every region in the world. While law and policy have an important role to play in curbing this pandemic, our current understanding of how they can most effectively be used is still limited. This contribution identifies a number of gaps in current research and insists on an interdisciplinary research agenda between law, health science and international relations aimed at designing concrete proposals for laws and policies to curb the NCD pandemic, both globally and domestically.

Facilitating Transdisciplinary Sustainable Development Research Teams through Online Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dale, Ann; Newman, Lenore; Ling, Chris

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the potential of online communication technologies to facilitate university-led transdisciplinary sustainable development research and lower the ecological footprints of such research projects. A series of case studies is to be explored. Design/methodology/approach: A one year project is conducted…

The Challenges of Interdisciplinary Epistemology in Neuroaesthetics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Croft, James

2011-01-01

Neuroaesthetics is a burgeoning new interdisciplinary research space in which cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy intersect in order to better inform our understanding of aesthetic experience. The purpose of this study is to analyze high-profile work in neuroaesthetics in the light of recent research into interdisciplinary…

Innovations in Doctoral Training and Research on Tinnitus: The European School on Interdisciplinary Tinnitus Research (ESIT) Perspective.

PubMed

Schlee, Winfried; Hall, Deborah A; Canlon, Barbara; Cima, Rilana F F; de Kleine, Emile; Hauck, Franz; Huber, Alex; Gallus, Silvano; Kleinjung, Tobias; Kypraios, Theodore; Langguth, Berthold; Lopez-Escamez, José A; Lugo, Alessandra; Meyer, Martin; Mielczarek, Marzena; Norena, Arnaud; Pfiffner, Flurin; Pryss, Rüdiger C; Reichert, Manfred; Requena, Teresa; Schecklmann, Martin; van Dijk, Pim; van de Heyning, Paul; Weisz, Nathan; Cederroth, Christopher R

2017-01-01

Tinnitus is a common medical condition which interfaces many different disciplines, yet it is not a priority for any individual discipline. A change in its scientific understanding and clinical management requires a shift toward multidisciplinary cooperation, not only in research but also in training. The European School for Interdisciplinary Tinnitus research (ESIT) brings together a unique multidisciplinary consortium of clinical practitioners, academic researchers, commercial partners, patient organizations, and public health experts to conduct innovative research and train the next generation of tinnitus researchers. ESIT supports fundamental science and clinical research projects in order to: (1) advancing new treatment solutions for tinnitus, (2) improving existing treatment paradigms, (3) developing innovative research methods, (4) performing genetic studies on, (5) collecting epidemiological data to create new knowledge about prevalence and risk factors, (6) establishing a pan-European data resource. All research projects involve inter-sectoral partnerships through practical training, quite unlike anything that can be offered by any single university alone. Likewise, the postgraduate training curriculum fosters a deep knowledge about tinnitus whilst nurturing transferable competencies in personal qualities and approaches needed to be an effective researcher, knowledge of the standards, requirements and professionalism to do research, and skills to work with others and to ensure the wider impact of research. ESIT is the seed for future generations of creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative researchers, trained to master the upcoming challenges in the tinnitus field, to implement sustained changes in prevention and clinical management of tinnitus, and to shape doctoral education in tinnitus for the future.

Investigating mode errors on automated flight decks: illustrating the problem-driven, cumulative, and interdisciplinary nature of human factors research.

PubMed

Sarter, Nadine

2008-06-01

The goal of this article is to illustrate the problem-driven, cumulative, and highly interdisciplinary nature of human factors research by providing a brief overview of the work on mode errors on modern flight decks over the past two decades. Mode errors on modem flight decks were first reported in the late 1980s. Poor feedback, inadequate mental models of the automation, and the high degree of coupling and complexity of flight deck systems were identified as main contributors to these breakdowns in human-automation interaction. Various improvements of design, training, and procedures were proposed to address these issues. The author describes when and why the problem of mode errors surfaced, summarizes complementary research activities that helped identify and understand the contributing factors to mode errors, and describes some countermeasures that have been developed in recent years. This brief review illustrates how one particular human factors problem in the aviation domain enabled various disciplines and methodological approaches to contribute to a better understanding of, as well as provide better support for, effective human-automation coordination. Converging operations and interdisciplinary collaboration over an extended period of time are hallmarks of successful human factors research. The reported body of research can serve as a model for future research and as a teaching tool for students in this field of work.

Study of Local Radon Occurrence as an Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purdom, William Berlin; And Others

1990-01-01

Described is an undergraduate interdisciplinary project encompassing physics, computer science, and geology and involving a number of students from several academic departments. The project used the topic of the occurrence of in-home radon. Student projects, radon sampling, and results are discussed. (CW)

Exploring dental student participation in interdisciplinary care team conferences in long-term care.

PubMed

Huynh, Jeremy; Donnelly, Leeann R; Brondani, Mario A

2017-06-01

The purpose of this study was to explore how the participation of dental hygiene students in interdisciplinary care conferences conducted in long-term care (LTC) facilities influenced the staff's awareness of oral health, the student's provision of care as well as the student's ability to work on an interdisciplinary team. Oral health in LTC continues to be poor despite many educational and clinical interventions. The care of a frail elder requires an interdisciplinary team approach, yet dental professionals are often absent from these teams. As an educational intervention, dental hygiene students, in addition to providing clinical care to residents and education to staff in a LTC facility, have been participating in interdisciplinary care conferences for 4 years. Nine LTC facility staff and eight students participated in two focus groups and five personal interviews to discuss their experiences of the care conferences. Narratives were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was conducted. Four major themes emerged that described the essence of the experience of involving dental professionals within interdisciplinary care conference: (i) addressing oral health, (ii) reciprocal learning, (iii) dealing with complexity and (iv) impact of collaborative care. Overall, students found the educational intervention to be worthwhile that allowed for the development of interdisciplinary skills and a greater understanding of dental geriatrics. The dental support in care conferences was welcomed by the staff as it facilitated a new way of exchanging knowledge and experiences so that a more holistic approach to care could be undertaken by all. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Association. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Barriers to and Facilitators of Research Utilization: A Survey of Registered Nurses in China

PubMed Central

Wang, Li-Ping; Jiang, Xiao-Lian; Wang, Lei; Wang, Guo-Rong; Bai, Yang-Jing

2013-01-01

Aims This survey aims to describe the perception of barriers to and facilitators of research utilization by registered nurses in Sichuan province, China, and to explore the factors influencing the perceptions of the barriers to and facilitators of research utilization. Methods A cross sectional survey design and a double cluster sampling method were adopted. A total of 590 registered nurses from 3 tertiary level hospitals in Sichuan province, China, were recruited in a period from September 2006 to January 2007. A modified BARRUERS Scale and a Facilitators Scale were used. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, rank transformation test, and multiple linear regression. Results Barriers related to the setting subscale were more influential than barriers related to other subscales. The lack of authority was ranked as the top greatest barrier (15.7%), followed by the lack of time (13.4%) and language barrier (15.0%). Additional barriers identified were the reluctance of patients to research utilization, the lack of funding, and the lack of legal protection. The top three greatest facilitators were enhancing managerial support (36.9%), advancing education to increase knowledge base (21.1%), and increasing time for reviewing and implementing (17.5%), while cooperation of patients to research utilization, establishing a panel to evaluate researches, and funding were listed as additional facilitators. Hospital, educational background, research experience, and knowledge on evidence-based nursing were the factors influencing perceptions of the barriers and facilitators. Conclusions Nurses in China are facing a number of significant barriers in research utilization. Enhancing managerial support might be the most promising facilitator, given Chinese traditional culture and existing health care system. Hospital, educational background, research experience and knowledge on evidence-based nursing should be taken into account to promote research utilization. The BARRIERS

Preparing High School Students for the Interdisciplinary Nature of Modern Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagle, Barbara

2013-01-01

Fostering interdisciplinary learning in biology will require significant changes in the way one teaches science to K-12 students. The perspective on interdisciplinary biology teaching and learning in this essay is based on the author's experiences as a former research cell biologist, high school science teacher, and developer of secondary science…

An Interdisciplinary Network Making Progress on Climate Change Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spitzer, W.; Anderson, J. C.; Bales, S.; Fraser, J.; Yoder, J. A.

2012-12-01

Public understanding of climate change continues to lag far behind the scientific consensus not merely because the public lacks information, but because there is in fact too much complex and contradictory information available. Fortunately, we can now (1) build on careful empirical cognitive and social science research to understand what people already value, believe, and understand; and then (2) design and test strategies for translating complex science so that people can examine evidence, make well-informed inferences, and embrace science-based solutions. Informal science education institutions can help bridge the gap between climate scientists and the public. In the US, more than 1,500 informal science venues (science centers, museums, aquariums, zoos, nature centers, national parks, etc.) are visited annually by 61% of the population. Extensive research shows that these visitors are receptive to learning about climate change and trust these institutions as reliable sources. Ultimately, we need to take a strategic approach to the way climate change is communicated. An interdisciplinary approach is needed to bring together three key areas of expertise (as recommended by Pidgeon and Fischhoff, 2011): 1. Climate and decision science experts - who can summarize and explain what is known, characterize risks, and describe appropriate mitigation and adaptation strategies; 2. Social scientists - who can bring to bear research, theory, and best practices from cognitive, communication, knowledge acquisition, and social learning theory; and 3. Informal educators and program designers - who bring a practitioner perspective and can exponentially facilitate a learning process for additional interpreters. With support from an NSF CCEP Phase I grant, we have tested this approach, bringing together Interdisciplinary teams of colleagues for a five month "study circles" to develop skills to communicate climate change based on research in the social and cognitive sciences. In 2011

Interdisciplinary shared governance: a partnership model for high performance in a managed care environment.

PubMed

Anderson, D A; Bankston, K; Stindt, J L; Weybright, D W

2000-09-01

Today's managed care environment is forcing hospitals to seek new and innovative ways to deliver a seamless continuum of high-quality care and services to defined populations at lower costs. Many are striving to achieve this goal through the implementation of shared governance models that support point-of-service decision making, interdisciplinary partnerships, and the integration of work across clinical settings and along the service delivery continuum. The authors describe the key processes and strategies used to facilitate the design and successful implementation of an interdisciplinary shared governance model at The University Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio. Implementation costs and initial benefits obtained over a 2-year period also are identified.

Social Network Analysis as an Analytic Tool for Task Group Research: A Case Study of an Interdisciplinary Community of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lockhart, Naorah C.

2017-01-01

Group counselors commonly collaborate in interdisciplinary settings in health care, substance abuse, and juvenile justice. Social network analysis is a methodology rarely used in counseling research yet has potential to examine task group dynamics in new ways. This case study explores the scholarly relationships among 36 members of an…

Impact of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research in Mathematics and Biology on the Development of a New Course Integrating Five STEM Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caudill, Lester; Hill, April; Hoke, Kathy; Lipan, Ovidiu

2010-01-01

Funded by innovative programs at the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Richmond faculty in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and computer science teamed up to offer first- and second-year students the opportunity to contribute to vibrant, interdisciplinary research projects. The result was…

A Multidimensional Approach to Examine Student Interdisciplinary Learning in Science and Engineering in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spelt, Elisabeth Jacoba Hendrika; Luning, Pieternelleke Arianne; van Boekel, Martinus A. J. S.; Mulder, Martin

2017-01-01

Preparing science and engineering students to work in interdisciplinary teams necessitates research on teaching and learning of interdisciplinary thinking. A multidimensional approach was taken to examine student interdisciplinary learning in a master course on food quality management. The collected 615 student experiences were analysed for the…

Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence: A Literature Review of Empirical Research.

PubMed

Henry, Nicola; Powell, Anastasia

2018-04-01

Technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) refers to a range of behaviors where digital technologies are used to facilitate both virtual and face-to-face sexually based harms. Such behaviors include online sexual harassment, gender- and sexuality-based harassment, cyberstalking, image-based sexual exploitation, and the use of a carriage service to coerce a victim into an unwanted sexual act. This article reviews the current state of knowledge on these different dimensions, drawing on existing empirical studies. While there is a growing body of research into technology-facilitated harms perpetrated against children and adolescents, there is a dearth of qualitative and quantitative research on TFSV against adults. Moreover, few of the existing studies provide reliable data on the nature, scope, and impacts of TFSV. Preliminary studies, however, indicate that some harms, much like sexual violence more broadly, may be predominantly gender-, sexuality-, and age-based, with young women being overrepresented as victims in some categories. This review collects the empirical evidence to date regarding the prevalence and gender-based nature of TFSV against adults and discusses the implications for policy and programs, as well as suggestions for future research.

Feasibility of interdisciplinary community-based fall risk screening.

PubMed

Elliott, Sharon J; Ivanescu, Andrada; Leland, Natalie E; Fogo, Jennifer; Painter, Jane A; Trujillo, Leonard G

2012-01-01

This pilot study examined the feasibility of (1) conducting interdisciplinary fall risk screens at a communitywide adult fall prevention event and (2) collecting preliminary follow-up data from people screened at the event about balance confidence and home and activity modifications made after receiving educational information at the event. We conducted a pilot study with pre- and posttesting (4-mo follow-up) with 35 community-dwelling adults ≥55 yr old. Approximately half the participants were at risk for falls. Most participants who anticipated making environmental or activity changes to reduce fall risk initiated changes (n = 8/11; 72.7%) during the 4-mo follow-up period. We found no significant difference in participants' balance confidence between baseline (median = 62.81) and follow-up (median = 64.06) as measured by the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale. Conducting interdisciplinary fall risk screens at an adult fall prevention event is feasible and can facilitate environmental and behavior changes to reduce fall risk. Copyright © 2012 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

How Does National Scientific Funding Support Emerging Interdisciplinary Research: A Comparison Study of Big Data Research in the US and China.

PubMed

Huang, Ying; Zhang, Yi; Youtie, Jan; Porter, Alan L; Wang, Xuefeng

2016-01-01

How do funding agencies ramp-up their capabilities to support research in a rapidly emerging area? This paper addresses this question through a comparison of research proposals awarded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) in the field of Big Data. Big data is characterized by its size and difficulties in capturing, curating, managing and processing it in reasonable periods of time. Although Big Data has its legacy in longstanding information technology research, the field grew very rapidly over a short period. We find that the extent of interdisciplinarity is a key aspect in how these funding agencies address the rise of Big Data. Our results show that both agencies have been able to marshal funding to support Big Data research in multiple areas, but the NSF relies to a greater extent on multi-program funding from different fields. We discuss how these interdisciplinary approaches reflect the research hot-spots and innovation pathways in these two countries.

Research opportunities in interdisciplinary ground-water science in the U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanford, W.E.; Caine, Jonathan S.; Wilcox, D.A.; McWreath, H.C.; Nicholas, J.R.

2006-01-01

This report is written for the scientifically literate reader but is not limited to those who are involved in ground-water science. The report is intended to encourage U.S. Geological Survey scientists to develop a sense of excitement about ground-water science in the agency, to inform scientists about existing and potential ground-water science opportunities, and to engage scientists and managers in interdisciplinary discussions and collaboration. The report is intended for use by U.S. Geological Survey and Department of the Interior management to formulate long-term ground-water science programs and to continue sustained support of ground-water monitoring and research, some of which may not have an immediate impact. Finally, the report can be used to communicate the U.S. Geological Survey's vision of ground-water science to Congress, partners, other agencies, and the research community at large with the goals of enhancing collaborative opportunities, sharing information, and maintaining dialogue regarding the directions of U.S. Geological Survey ground-water science.

Designing Interdisciplinary Assessments in Sciences for College Students: An Example on Osmosis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shen, Ji; Liu, Ou Lydia; Sung, Shannon

2014-01-01

College science education needs to foster students' habit of mind beyond disciplinary constraints. However, little research has been devoted to assessing students' interdisciplinary understanding. To address this problem, we formed a team of experts from different disciplines to develop interdisciplinary assessments that target…

Rise of interdisciplinary research on climate

PubMed Central

Weart, Spencer

2013-01-01

Until the middle of the 20th century, the discipline of climatology was a stagnant field preoccupied with regional statistics. It had little to do with meteorology, which itself was predominantly a craft that paid scant attention to physical theory. The Second World War and Cold War promoted a rapid growth of meteorology, which some practitioners increasingly combined with physical science in hopes of understanding global climate dynamics. However, the dozen or so scientific disciplines that had something to say about climate were largely isolated from one another. In the 1960s and 1970s, worries about climate change helped to push the diverse fields into contact. Scientists interested in climate change kept their identification with different disciplines but developed ways to communicate across the boundaries (for example, in large international projects). Around the turn of the 21st century, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change institutionalized an unprecedented process of exchanges; its reports relied especially on computer modeling, which became a center of fully integrated interdisciplinary cooperation. PMID:22778431

"It takes a village" to raise research productivity: Impact of a Trauma Interdisciplinary Group for Research (TIGR) at an urban, Level 1 trauma center.

PubMed

Nesmith, Elizabeth G; Medeiros, Regina S; Ferdinand, Colville H B; Hawkins, Michael L; Holsten, Steven B; Dong, Yanbin; Zhu, Haidong

2013-07-01

Few interdisciplinary research groups include basic scientists, pharmacists, therapists, nutritionists, lab technicians, as well as trauma patients and families, in addition to clinicians. Increasing interprofessional diversity within scientific teams working to improve trauma care is a goal of national organizations and federal funding agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This paper describes the design, implementation, and outcomes of a Trauma Interdisciplinary Group for Research (TIGR) at a Level 1 trauma center as it relates to increasing research productivity, with specific examples excerpted from an on-going NIH-funded study. We utilized a pre-test/post-test design with objectives aimed at measuring increases in research productivity following a targeted intervention. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis was used to develop the intervention which included research skill-building activities, accomplished by adding multidisciplinary investigators to an existing NIH-funded project. The NIH project aimed to test the hypothesis that accelerated biologic aging from chronic stress increases baseline inflammation and reduces inflammatory response to trauma (projected N=150). Pre/Post-TIGR data related to participant screening, recruitment, consent, and research processes were compared. Research productivity was measured through abstracts, publications, and investigator-initiated projects. Research products increased from N =12 to N=42; (~ 400%). Research proposals for federal funding increased from N=0 to N=3, with success rate of 66%. Participant screenings for the NIH-funded study increased from N=40 to N=313. Consents increased from N=14 to N=70. Lab service fees were reduced from $300/participant to $5/participant. Adding diversity to our scientific team via TIGR was exponentially successful in 1) improving research productivity, 2) reducing research costs, and 3) increasing research products and mentoring activities

Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Phenomenology of Auditory Verbal Hallucinations

PubMed Central

Woods, Angela; Jones, Nev; Bernini, Marco; Callard, Felicity; Alderson-Day, Ben; Badcock, Johanna C.; Bell, Vaughan; Cook, Chris C. H.; Csordas, Thomas; Humpston, Clara; Krueger, Joel; Larøi, Frank; McCarthy-Jones, Simon; Moseley, Peter; Powell, Hilary; Raballo, Andrea; Smailes, David; Fernyhough, Charles

2014-01-01

Despite the recent proliferation of scientific, clinical, and narrative accounts of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs), the phenomenology of voice hearing remains opaque and undertheorized. In this article, we outline an interdisciplinary approach to understanding hallucinatory experiences which seeks to demonstrate the value of the humanities and social sciences to advancing knowledge in clinical research and practice. We argue that an interdisciplinary approach to the phenomenology of AVH utilizes rigorous and context-appropriate methodologies to analyze a wider range of first-person accounts of AVH at 3 contextual levels: (1) cultural, social, and historical; (2) experiential; and (3) biographical. We go on to show that there are significant potential benefits for voice hearers, clinicians, and researchers. These include (1) informing the development and refinement of subtypes of hallucinations within and across diagnostic categories; (2) “front-loading” research in cognitive neuroscience; and (3) suggesting new possibilities for therapeutic intervention. In conclusion, we argue that an interdisciplinary approach to the phenomenology of AVH can nourish the ethical core of scientific enquiry by challenging its interpretive paradigms, and offer voice hearers richer, potentially more empowering ways to make sense of their experiences. PMID:24903416

Charting the Territory: Interdisciplinary Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eason, Douglas O.

Although enrollment in interdisciplinary studies is increasing in the two-year college, much remains to be done in defining and planning interdisciplinary programs. A valuable distinction can be made between interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary studies. The first refers to exploring significant relationships between or among unrelated…

Lessons for tsunami risk mitigation from recent events occured in Chile: research findings for alerting and evacuation from interdisciplinary perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cienfuegos, R.; Catalan, P. A.; Leon, J.; Gonzalez, G.; Repetto, P.; Urrutia, A.; Tomita, T.; Orellana, V.

2016-12-01

In the wake of the 2010 tsunami that hit Chile, a major public effort to promote interdisciplinary disaster reseach was undertaken by the Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (Conicyt) allocating funds to create the Center for Integrated Research on Natural Risks Management (CIGIDEN). This effort has been key in promoting associativity between national and international research teams in order to transform the frequent occurrence of extreme events that affect Chile into an opportunity for interdisciplinary research. In this presentation we will summarize some of the fundamental research findings regarding tsunami forecasting, alerting, and evacuation processes based on interdisciplinary field work campaigns and modeling efforts conducted in the wake of the three most recent destructive events that hit Chile in 2010, 2014, and 2015. One of the main results that we shall emphatize from these findings, is that while research and operational efforts to model and forecast tsunamis are important, technological positivisms should not undermine educational efforts that have proved to be effective in reducing casualties due to tsunamis in the near field. Indeed, in recent events that hit Chile, first tsunami waves reached the adjacent generation zones in time scales comparable with the required time for data gathering and modeling even for the most sophisticated early warning tsunami algorithms currently available. The latter emphasizes self-evacuation from coastal areas, while forecasting and monitoring tsunami hazards remain very important for alerting more distant areas, and are essential for alert cancelling especially when shelf and embayment resonance, and edge wave propagation may produce destructive late tsunami arrivals several hours after the nucleation of the earthquake. By combining some of the recent evidence we have gathered in Chile on seismic source uncertainities (both epistemic and aleatoric), tsunami hydrodynamics, the response

Participatory Climate Research in a Dynamic Urban Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horton, R. M.

2016-12-01

The Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast (CCRUN), one of ten NOAA-RISA's, supports resilience efforts in the urban corridor stretching from Philadelphia to Boston. Challenges and opportunities include the diverse set of needs in broad urban contexts, as well as the integration of interdisciplinary perspectives. CCRUN is addressing these challenges through 1) stakeholder surveys, 2) webinar series that enable scientists to engage with stakeholders, 3) leveraging extreme events as focusing opportunities, and 4) the development of an integrated project framework. Moving forward, increasing extreme events can lead to unexpected detours, and further effort is needed around facilitating place-based research in an interdisciplinary context.

Understanding the assembly of interdisciplinary teams and its impact on performance.

PubMed

Lungeanu, Alina; Huang, Yun; Contractor, Noshir S

2014-01-01

Interdisciplinary teams are assembled in scientific research and are aimed at solving complex problems. Given their increasing importance, it is not surprising that considerable attention has been focused on processes of collaboration in interdisciplinary teams. Despite such efforts, we know less about the factors affecting the assembly of such teams in the first place. In this paper, we investigate the structure and the success of interdisciplinary scientific research teams. We examine the assembly factors using a sample of 1,103 grant proposals submitted to two National Science Foundation interdisciplinary initiatives during a 3-year period, including both awarded and non-awarded proposals. The results indicate that individuals' likelihood of collaboration on a proposal is higher among those with longer tenure, lower institutional tier, lower H-index, and with higher levels of prior co-authorship and citation relationships. However, successful proposals have a little bit different relational patterns: individuals' likelihood of collaboration is higher among those with lower institutional tier, lower H-index, (female) gender, higher levels of prior co-authorship, but with lower levels of prior citation relationships.

Understanding the assembly of interdisciplinary teams and its impact on performance

PubMed Central

Lungeanu, Alina; Huang, Yun; Contractor, Noshir S.

2013-01-01

Interdisciplinary teams are assembled in scientific research and are aimed at solving complex problems. Given their increasing importance, it is not surprising that considerable attention has been focused on processes of collaboration in interdisciplinary teams. Despite such efforts, we know less about the factors affecting the assembly of such teams in the first place. In this paper, we investigate the structure and the success of interdisciplinary scientific research teams. We examine the assembly factors using a sample of 1,103 grant proposals submitted to two National Science Foundation interdisciplinary initiatives during a 3-year period, including both awarded and non-awarded proposals. The results indicate that individuals’ likelihood of collaboration on a proposal is higher among those with longer tenure, lower institutional tier, lower H-index, and with higher levels of prior co-authorship and citation relationships. However, successful proposals have a little bit different relational patterns: individuals’ likelihood of collaboration is higher among those with lower institutional tier, lower H-index, (female) gender, higher levels of prior co-authorship, but with lower levels of prior citation relationships. PMID:24470806

Interdisciplinary methods and practices for integrating social sciences into studies on catchment evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, G.

2017-12-01

Real world problems rarely regard disciplinary boundaries. This is particularly apparent in catchments, where knowledge and understanding from many different research disciplines is essential to address the water resource challenges facing society. People are an integral part of any catchment. Therefore a comprehensive understanding of catchment evolution needs to include the social system. Socio-hydrological models that can simulate the co-evolution of human-water systems, for example, with regards to floods and droughts, show great promise in their capacity to capture and understand such systems. Yet, to develop socio-hydrological models into more comprehensive analysis tools that adequately capture the social components of the system, researchers need to embrace interdisciplinary working and multi-disciplinary research teams. By exploring the development of interdisciplinary research in a water programme, several key practices have been identified that support interdisciplinary collaboration. These include clarification where researchers discuss and re-explain their research or position to expose all the assumptions being made until all involved understand it; harnessing differences where different opinions and types of knowledge are treated respectfully to minimise tensions and disputes; and boundary setting where defensible limits to the research enquiry are set with consideration for the restrictions (funds, skills, resources) through negotiation and discussion between the research team members. Focussing on these research practices while conducting interdisciplinary collaborative research into the human-water system, is anticipated to support the development of more integrated approaches and models.

Developing Interdisciplinary Skills and Professional Confidence in Palliative Care Social Work Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Supiano, Katherine P.; Berry, Patricia H.

2013-01-01

Research suggests that better educational preparation is necessary to assure that health care social workers have the competencies essential for high quality interdisciplinary palliative care practice. This study is a qualitative evaluation of those elements contributing to competence and confidence in interdisciplinary practice skills of second…

Some Thoughts on Interdisciplinary Science *

PubMed Central

Stannard, J. Newell

1966-01-01

The development of the “new biology” is largely a story of developments in interdisciplinary science. This paper considers a few of these of special interest to the author and active at the University of Rochester; namely, dental research, biophysics, radiation biology, health physics, biomedical engineering, and space biology. Rochester pioneered advanced academic training in radiation biology, a field which, despite some earlier tendencies to become associated with techniques rather than scientific problems, is now clearly a substantive discipline. Using biophysics as an example, the paper points to the futility of trying to define in detail the exact nature of each new “interdisciplinary discipline,” yet it also decries the coining of new names without due cause. Health physics and its related field, radiological health, are described as centered on problems of radiation protection and as professional in their overtones. The interrelationships between engineering and bioscience are seen most clearly in biomedical engineering and the growing programs in space biology which require complete cooperation and mutual understanding between engineers and bioscientists for their ultimate success. After presenting some implications for medical libraries, the paper closes with a plea that the developers of new interdisciplinary fields and their powerful tools maintain historical perspective, simplicity of approach, and respect for nature's infinite resourcefulness. PMID:5910383

Learning about the Earth through Societally-relevant Interdisciplinary Research Projects: the Honours Integrated Science Program at McMaster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eyles, C.; Symons, S. L.; Harvey, C. T.

2016-12-01

Students in the Honours Integrated Science (iSci) program at McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) learn about the Earth through interdisciplinary research projects that focus on important societal issues. The iSci program is a new and innovative undergraduate program that emphasizes the links between scientific disciplines and focuses on learning through research and the development of scientific communication skills. The program accepts up to 60 students each year and is taught by a team of 18 instructors comprising senior and junior faculty, post-doctoral fellows, a lab coordinator, instructional assistant, a librarian and library staff, and an administrator. The program is designed around a pedagogical model that emphasizes hands-on learning through interdisciplinary research (Research-based Integrated Education: RIE) and is mostly project-based and experiential. In their freshman year students learn fundamental Earth science concepts (in conjunction with chemistry, physics, mathematics and biology) through research projects focused on environmental contamination, interplanetary exploration, the effect of drugs on the human body and environment, sustainable energy, and cancer. In subsequent years they conduct research on topics such as the History of the Earth, Thermodynamics, Plant-Animal Interactions, Wine Science, Forensics, and Climate Change. The iSci program attracts students with a broad interest in science and has been particularly effective in directing high quality students into the Earth sciences as they are introduced to the discipline in their first year of study through research projects that are interesting and stimulating. The structure of the iSci program encourages consideration of geoscientific applications in a broad range of societally relevant research projects; these projects are reviewed and modified each year to ensure their currency and ability to meet program learning objectives.

Interdisciplinary development of manual and automated product usability assessments for older adults with dementia: lessons learned.

PubMed

Boger, Jennifer; Taati, Babak; Mihailidis, Alex

2016-10-01

The changes in cognitive abilities that accompany dementia can make it difficult to use everyday products that are required to complete activities of daily living. Products that are inherently more usable for people with dementia could facilitate independent activity completion, thus reducing the need for caregiver assistance. The objectives of this research were to: (1) gain an understanding of how water tap design impacted tap usability and (2) create an automated computerized tool that could assess tap usability. 27 older adults, who ranged from cognitively intact to advanced dementia, completed 1309 trials on five tap designs. Data were manually analyzed to investigate tap usability as well as used to develop an automated usability analysis tool. Researchers collaborated to modify existing techniques and to create novel ones to accomplish both goals. This paper presents lessons learned through the course of this research, which could be applicable in the development of other usability studies, automated vision-based assessments and the development of assistive technologies for cognitively impaired older adults. Collaborative interdisciplinary teamwork, which included older adult with dementia participants, was key to enabling innovative advances that achieved the projects' research goals. Implications for Rehabilitation Products that are implicitly familiar and usable by older adults could foster independent activity completion, potentially reducing reliance on a caregiver. The computer-based automated tool can significantly reduce the time and effort required to perform product usability analysis, making this type of analysis more feasible. Interdisciplinary collaboration can result in a more holistic understanding of assistive technology research challenges and enable innovative solutions.

Toward an Analytic Framework of Interdisciplinary Reasoning and Communication (IRC) Processes in Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Ji; Sung, Shannon; Zhang, Dongmei

2015-11-01

Students need to think and work across disciplinary boundaries in the twenty-first century. However, it is unclear what interdisciplinary thinking means and how to analyze interdisciplinary interactions in teamwork. In this paper, drawing on multiple theoretical perspectives and empirical analysis of discourse contents, we formulate a theoretical framework that helps analyze interdisciplinary reasoning and communication (IRC) processes in interdisciplinary collaboration. Specifically, we propose four interrelated IRC processes-integration, translation, transfer, and transformation, and develop a corresponding analytic framework. We apply the framework to analyze two meetings of a project that aims to develop interdisciplinary science assessment items. The results illustrate that the framework can help interpret the interdisciplinary meeting dynamics and patterns. Our coding process and results also suggest that these IRC processes can be further examined in terms of interconnected sub-processes. We also discuss the implications of using the framework in conceptualizing, practicing, and researching interdisciplinary learning and teaching in science education.

Facilitative Components of Collaborative Learning: A Review of Nine Health Research Networks.

PubMed

Leroy, Lisa; Rittner, Jessica Levin; Johnson, Karin E; Gerteis, Jessie; Miller, Therese

2017-02-01

Collaborative research networks are increasingly used as an effective mechanism for accelerating knowledge transfer into policy and practice. This paper explored the characteristics and collaborative learning approaches of nine health research networks. Semi-structured interviews with representatives from eight diverse US health services research networks conducted between November 2012 and January 2013 and program evaluation data from a ninth. The qualitative analysis assessed each network's purpose, duration, funding sources, governance structure, methods used to foster collaboration, and barriers and facilitators to collaborative learning. The authors reviewed detailed notes from the interviews to distill salient themes. Face-to-face meetings, intentional facilitation and communication, shared vision, trust among members and willingness to work together were key facilitators of collaborative learning. Competing priorities for members, limited funding and lack of long-term support and geographic dispersion were the main barriers to coordination and collaboration across research network members. The findings illustrate the importance of collaborative learning in research networks and the challenges to evaluating the success of research network functionality. Conducting readiness assessments and developing process and outcome evaluation metrics will advance the design and show the impact of collaborative research networks. Copyright © 2017 Longwoods Publishing.

Students' Attitudes towards Interdisciplinary Education: A Course on Interdisciplinary Aspects of Science and Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gero, Aharon

2017-01-01

A course entitled "Science and Engineering Education: Interdisciplinary Aspects" was designed to expose undergraduate students of science and engineering education to the attributes of interdisciplinary education which integrates science and engineering. The core of the course is an interdisciplinary lesson, which each student is…

Mode 2 and the Tension between Excellence and Utility: The Case of a Policy-Relevant Research Field in Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Håkansta, Carin; Jacob, Merle

2016-01-01

This paper investigates the impact of changing science policy doctrines on the development of an academic field, working life research. Working life research is an interdisciplinary field of study in which researchers and stakeholders collaborated to produce relevant knowledge. The development of the field, we argue, was both facilitated and…

Datathons and Software to Promote Reproducible Research.

PubMed

Celi, Leo Anthony; Lokhandwala, Sharukh; Montgomery, Robert; Moses, Christopher; Naumann, Tristan; Pollard, Tom; Spitz, Daniel; Stretch, Robert

2016-08-24

Datathons facilitate collaboration between clinicians, statisticians, and data scientists in order to answer important clinical questions. Previous datathons have resulted in numerous publications of interest to the critical care community and serve as a viable model for interdisciplinary collaboration. We report on an open-source software called Chatto that was created by members of our group, in the context of the second international Critical Care Datathon, held in September 2015. Datathon participants formed teams to discuss potential research questions and the methods required to address them. They were provided with the Chatto suite of tools to facilitate their teamwork. Each multidisciplinary team spent the next 2 days with clinicians working alongside data scientists to write code, extract and analyze data, and reformulate their queries in real time as needed. All projects were then presented on the last day of the datathon to a panel of judges that consisted of clinicians and scientists. Use of Chatto was particularly effective in the datathon setting, enabling teams to reduce the time spent configuring their research environments to just a few minutes-a process that would normally take hours to days. Chatto continued to serve as a useful research tool after the conclusion of the datathon. This suite of tools fulfills two purposes: (1) facilitation of interdisciplinary teamwork through archiving and version control of datasets, analytical code, and team discussions, and (2) advancement of research reproducibility by functioning postpublication as an online environment in which independent investigators can rerun or modify analyses with relative ease. With the introduction of Chatto, we hope to solve a variety of challenges presented by collaborative data mining projects while improving research reproducibility.

Geographic trends in research output and citations in veterinary medicine: insight into global research capacity, species specialization, and interdisciplinary relationships

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Bibliographic data can be used to map the research quality and productivity of a discipline. We hypothesized that bibliographic data would identify geographic differences in research capacity, species specialization, and interdisciplinary relationships within the veterinary profession that corresponded with demographic and economic indices. Results Using the SCImago portal, we retrieved veterinary journal, article, and citation data in the Scopus database by year (1996–2011), region, country, and publication in species-specific journals (food animal, small animal, equine, miscellaneous), as designated by Scopus. In 2011, Scopus indexed 165 journals in the veterinary subject area, an increase from 111 in 1996. As a percentage of veterinary research output between 1996 and 2010, Western Europe and North America (US and Canada) together accounted for 60.9% of articles and 73.0% of citations. The number of veterinary articles increased from 8815 in 1996 to 19,077 in 2010 (net increase 66.6%). During this time, publications increased by 21.0% in Asia, 17.2% in Western Europe, and 17.0% in Latin America, led by Brazil, China, India, and Turkey. The United States had the highest number of articles in species-specific journals. As a percentage of regional output, the proportion of articles in small animal and equine journals was highest in North America and the proportion of articles in food animal journals was highest in Africa. Based on principal component analysis, total articles were highly correlated with gross domestic product (based on World Bank data). The proportion of articles in small animal and equine journals was associated with gross national income, research and development, and % urban population, as opposed to the proportion of food animal articles, agricultural output, and % rural population. Co-citations linked veterinary medicine with medicine in the United States, with basic sciences in Eastern Europe and the Far East, and with agriculture

Making Interdisciplinary Collaboration Work: Key Ideas, a Case Study and Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMurtry, Angus; Clarkin, Chantalle; Bangou, Francis; Duplaa, Emmanuel; MacDonald, Colla; Ng-A-Fook, Nicholas; Trumpower, David

2012-01-01

This article discusses the "lessons learned" from an attempt to establish an interdisciplinary education research group. The growth, development and dissolution of the group are treated as an instrumental case study. Current literature on interdisciplinary collaboration is synthesized in order to provide a frame for analysis. Data was collected…

Evaluating Interdisciplinary Collaborative Learning and Assessment in the Creative Arts and Humanities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miles, Melissa; Rainbird, Sarah

2015-01-01

This article responds to the rising emphasis placed on interdisciplinary collaborative learning and its implications for assessment in higher education. It presents findings from a research project that examined the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary collaborative student symposium as an assessment task in an art school/humanities environment.…

Using a Low Cost Flight Simulation Environment for Interdisciplinary Education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khan, M. Javed; Rossi, Marcia; ALi, Syed F.

2004-01-01

A multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary education is increasingly being emphasized for engineering undergraduates. However, often the focus is on interaction between engineering disciplines. This paper discusses the experience at Tuskegee University in providing interdisciplinary research experiences for undergraduate students in both Aerospace Engineering and Psychology through the utilization of a low cost flight simulation environment. The environment, which is pc-based, runs a low-cost of-the-shelf software and is configured for multiple out-of-the-window views and a synthetic heads down display with joystick, rudder and throttle controls. While the environment is being utilized to investigate and evaluate various strategies for training novice pilots, students were involved to provide them with experience in conducting such interdisciplinary research. On the global inter-disciplinary level these experiences included developing experimental designs and research protocols, consideration of human participant ethical issues, and planning and executing the research studies. During the planning phase students were apprised of the limitations of the software in its basic form and the enhancements desired to investigate human factors issues. A number of enhancements to the flight environment were then undertaken, from creating Excel macros for determining the performance of the 'pilots', to interacting with the software to provide various audio/video cues based on the experimental protocol. These enhancements involved understanding the flight model and performance, stability & control issues. Throughout this process, discussions of data analysis included a focus from a human factors perspective as well as an engineering point of view.

Interdisciplinary Invigoration of Creativity Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ambrose, Don

2017-01-01

The forces of globalization are magnifying the importance of interdisciplinary creative work. While the field of creativity studies always has been more open to interdisciplinary idea borrowing than many other fields, it can and should do more interdisciplinary synthesizing. This article begins with a discussion of the rationale for encouraging…

Facilitation of child health research in hospital settings: The views of nurses.

PubMed

Brown, Julie; Barr, Owen; Lindsay, Mary; Ennis, Edel; O'Neill, Siobhan

2018-03-01

To explore the views of nurses towards child health research and to identify factors influencing their willingness to facilitate it in practice. Child health research in clinical practice is increasing throughout the UK. Nurses and midwives facilitate access to patients, enact research study protocols and have a critical role in parental decisions to enrol children into research studies. Little is known about their perception of this process. This study was a descriptive study design. A newly designed questionnaire was completed in 2013 by 105 nurses in three neonatal and two children's units in two discrete acute hospital sites. Overwhelming support for clinical research was reported. Participants were motivated to facilitate research in order to improve patient care and contribute to the evidence base, but discouraged by external organisational factors and ethical concerns. Training, education and a dedicated team to support research were considered important. Misconceptions regarding consent and the allocation of treatment were reported. Participants raised particular concerns about trials of investigational medicinal product. Negative views of nurses towards research, combined with a lack of knowledge of research processes, governance and ethics, have the potential to threaten the success of clinical research studies. Focus on three main areas: staff education, improved communication and the demonstration of managerial commitment to clinical research. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Launching a Large-Scale Research Study in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeLoach, Kendra P.; Dvorsky, Melissa; George, Mellissa R. W.; Miller, Elaine; Weist, Mark D.; Kern, Lee

2012-01-01

Interdisciplinary collaboration (IC) is a critically important theme generally, and of particular significance in school mental health (SMH), given the range of people from different disciplines who work in schools and the various systems in place. Reflecting the move to a true shared school-family-community system agenda, the collaborative…

An Interdisciplinary Outreach Model of African American Recruitment for Alzheimer's Disease Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Monique M.; Meisel, Marie M.; Williams, James; Morris, John C.

2011-01-01

Purpose: The African American Outreach Satellite (Satellite) provides educational outreach to facilitate African American recruitment for longitudinal studies at the Washington University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC). This descriptive article characterizes the Satellite's recruitment methods, plan for community engagement, results of…

Challenges and opportunities for ELSI early career researchers.

PubMed

Bell, Jessica; Ancillotti, Mirko; Coathup, Victoria; Coy, Sarah; Rigter, Tessel; Tatum, Travis; Grewal, Jasjote; Akcesme, Faruk Berat; Brkić, Jovana; Causevic-Ramosevac, Anida; Milovanovic, Goran; Nobile, Marianna; Pavlidis, Cristiana; Finlay, Teresa; Kaye, Jane

2016-07-08

Over the past 25 years, there has been growing recognition of the importance of studying the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) of genetic and genomic research. A large investment into ELSI research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Human Genomic Project budget in 1990 stimulated the growth of this emerging field; ELSI research has continued to develop and is starting to emerge as a field in its own right. The evolving subject matter of ELSI research continues to raise new research questions as well as prompt re-evaluation of earlier work and a growing number of scholars working in this area now identify themselves as ELSI scholars rather than with a particular discipline. Due to the international and interdisciplinary nature of ELSI research, scholars can often find themselves isolated from disciplinary or regionally situated support structures. We conducted a workshop with Early Career Researchers (ECRs) in Oxford, UK, and this paper discusses some of the particular challenges that were highlighted. While ELSI ECRs may face many of the universal challenges faced by ECRs, we argue that a number of challenges are either unique or exacerbated in the case of ELSI ECRs and discuss some of the reasons as to why this may be the case. We identify some of the most pressing issues for ELSI ECRs as: interdisciplinary angst and expertise, isolation from traditional support structures, limited resources and funding opportunities, and uncertainty regarding how research contributions will be measured. We discuss the potential opportunity to use web 2.0 technologies to transform academic support structures and address some of the challenges faced by ELSI ECRs, by helping to facilitate mentoring and support, access to resources and new accreditation metrics. As our field develops it is crucial for the ELSI community to continue looking forward to identify how emerging digital solutions can be used to facilitate the international and interdisciplinary

Becoming an Interdisciplinary Scientist: An Analysis of Students' Experiences in Three Computer Science Doctoral Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calatrava Moreno, María del Carmen; Danowitz, Mary Ann

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify how and why doctoral students do interdisciplinary research. A mixed-methods approach utilising bibliometric analysis of the publications of 195 students identified those who had published interdisciplinary research. This objective measurement of the interdisciplinarity, applying the Rao-Stirling index to Web…

Tempered Radicals: Faculty Leadership in Interdisciplinary Curricular Change Authors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldfien, Andrea C.; Badway, Norena Norton

2015-01-01

Scientists, researchers, and educators have promoted the improvement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education by incorporating an interdisciplinary approach to the study of STEM; but current research offers little guidance about how this change can occur. This study expands on a new body of research examining faculty…

Facilitative Components of Collaborative Learning: A Review of Nine Health Research Networks

PubMed Central

Rittner, Jessica Levin; Johnson, Karin E.; Gerteis, Jessie; Miller, Therese

2017-01-01

Objective: Collaborative research networks are increasingly used as an effective mechanism for accelerating knowledge transfer into policy and practice. This paper explored the characteristics and collaborative learning approaches of nine health research networks. Data sources/study setting: Semi-structured interviews with representatives from eight diverse US health services research networks conducted between November 2012 and January 2013 and program evaluation data from a ninth. Study design: The qualitative analysis assessed each network's purpose, duration, funding sources, governance structure, methods used to foster collaboration, and barriers and facilitators to collaborative learning. Data collection: The authors reviewed detailed notes from the interviews to distill salient themes. Principal findings: Face-to-face meetings, intentional facilitation and communication, shared vision, trust among members and willingness to work together were key facilitators of collaborative learning. Competing priorities for members, limited funding and lack of long-term support and geographic dispersion were the main barriers to coordination and collaboration across research network members. Conclusion: The findings illustrate the importance of collaborative learning in research networks and the challenges to evaluating the success of research network functionality. Conducting readiness assessments and developing process and outcome evaluation metrics will advance the design and show the impact of collaborative research networks. PMID:28277202

Exploring Connections Between Earth Science and Biology - Interdisciplinary Science Activities for Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vd Flier-Keller, E.; Carolsfeld, C.; Bullard, T.

2009-05-01

To increase teaching of Earth science in schools, and to reflect the interdisciplinary nature and interrelatedness of science disciplines in today's world, we are exploring opportunities for linking Earth science and Biology through engaging and innovative hands-on science activities for the classroom. Through the NSERC-funded Pacific CRYSTAL project based at the University of Victoria, scientists, science educators, and teachers at all levels in the school system are collaborating to research ways of enriching the preparation of students in math and science, and improving the quality of science education from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Our primary foci are building authentic, engaging science experiences for students, and fostering teacher leadership through teacher professional development and training. Interdisciplinary science activities represent an important way of making student science experiences real, engaging and relevant, and provide opportunities to highlight Earth science related topics within other disciplines, and to expand the Earth science taught in schools. The Earth science and Biology interdisciplinary project builds on results and experiences of existing Earth science education activities, and the Seaquaria project. We are developing curriculum-linked activities and resource materials, and hosting teacher workshops, around two initial areas; soils, and marine life and the fossil record. An example activity for the latter is the hands-on examination of organisms occupying the nearshore marine environment using a saltwater aquarium and touch tank or beach fieldtrip, and relating this to a suite of marine fossils to facilitate student thinking about representation of life in the fossil record e.g. which life forms are typically preserved, and how are they preserved? Literacy activities such as fossil obituaries encourage exploration of paleoenvironments and life habits of fossil organisms. Activities and resources are being tested with teachers

Development of a Pedagogical Model to Help Engineering Faculty Design Interdisciplinary Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navarro, Maria; Foutz, Timothy; Thompson, Sidney; Singer, Kerri Patrick

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a model to help engineering faculty overcome the challenges they face when asked to design and implement interdisciplinary curricula. Researchers at a U.S. University worked with an Interdisciplinary Consultant Team and prepared a steering document with Guiding Principles and Essential Elements for the…

Integrated interdisciplinary training in the radiological sciences.

PubMed

Brenner, D J; Vazquez, M; Buonanno, M; Amundson, S A; Bigelow, A W; Garty, G; Harken, A D; Hei, T K; Marino, S A; Ponnaiya, B; Randers-Pehrson, G; Xu, Y

2014-02-01

The radiation sciences are increasingly interdisciplinary, both from the research and the clinical perspectives. Beyond clinical and research issues, there are very real issues of communication between scientists from different disciplines. It follows that there is an increasing need for interdisciplinary training courses in the radiological sciences. Training courses are common in biomedical academic and clinical environments, but are typically targeted to scientists in specific technical fields. In the era of multidisciplinary biomedical science, there is a need for highly integrated multidisciplinary training courses that are designed for, and are useful to, scientists who are from a mix of very different academic fields and backgrounds. We briefly describe our experiences running such an integrated training course for researchers in the field of biomedical radiation microbeams, and draw some conclusions about how such interdisciplinary training courses can best function. These conclusions should be applicable to many other areas of the radiological sciences. In summary, we found that it is highly beneficial to keep the scientists from the different disciplines together. In practice, this means not segregating the training course into sections specifically for biologists and sections specifically for physicists and engineers, but rather keeping the students together to attend the same lectures and hands-on studies throughout the course. This structure added value to the learning experience not only in terms of the cross fertilization of information and ideas between scientists from the different disciplines, but also in terms of reinforcing some basic concepts for scientists in their own discipline.

How Does National Scientific Funding Support Emerging Interdisciplinary Research: A Comparison Study of Big Data Research in the US and China

PubMed Central

Huang, Ying; Zhang, Yi; Youtie, Jan; Porter, Alan L.; Wang, Xuefeng

2016-01-01

How do funding agencies ramp-up their capabilities to support research in a rapidly emerging area? This paper addresses this question through a comparison of research proposals awarded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) in the field of Big Data. Big data is characterized by its size and difficulties in capturing, curating, managing and processing it in reasonable periods of time. Although Big Data has its legacy in longstanding information technology research, the field grew very rapidly over a short period. We find that the extent of interdisciplinarity is a key aspect in how these funding agencies address the rise of Big Data. Our results show that both agencies have been able to marshal funding to support Big Data research in multiple areas, but the NSF relies to a greater extent on multi-program funding from different fields. We discuss how these interdisciplinary approaches reflect the research hot-spots and innovation pathways in these two countries. PMID:27219466

The interdisciplinary nature of SOIL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, E. C.; Cerdà, A.; Mataix-Solera, J.; Pereg, L.; Quinton, J. N.; Six, J.; Van Oost, K.

2015-01-01

The holistic study of soils requires an interdisciplinary approach involving biologists, chemists, geologists, and physicists, amongst others, something that has been true from the earliest days of the field. In more recent years this list has grown to include anthropologists, economists, engineers, medical professionals, military professionals, sociologists, and even artists. This approach has been strengthened and reinforced as current research continues to use experts trained in both soil science and related fields and by the wide array of issues impacting the world that require an in-depth understanding of soils. Of fundamental importance amongst these issues are biodiversity, biofuels/energy security, climate change, ecosystem services, food security, human health, land degradation, and water security, each representing a critical challenge for research. In order to establish a benchmark for the type of research that we seek to publish in each issue of SOIL, we have outlined the interdisciplinary nature of soil science research we are looking for. This includes a focus on the myriad ways soil science can be used to expand investigation into a more holistic and therefore richer approach to soil research. In addition, a selection of invited review papers are published in this first issue of SOIL that address the study of soils and the ways in which soil investigations are essential to other related fields. We hope that both this editorial and the papers in the first issue will serve as examples of the kinds of topics we would like to see published in SOIL and will stimulate excitement among our readers and authors to participate in this new venture.

Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Education: CIC Project on the Future of Independent Higher Education. Innovations in Teaching and Learning. Research Brief 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Philip M.

2015-01-01

During the most recent decade, interdisciplinary instruction at the undergraduate level has increased rapidly. Independent colleges and universities are both innovators in developing new approaches to interdisciplinary education and strong supporters of traditional liberal arts disciplines. Some observers argue that interdisciplinary approaches…

The diversity of anti-microbial secondary metabolites produced by fungal endophytes: an interdisciplinary perspective.

PubMed

Mousa, Walaa Kamel; Raizada, Manish N

2013-01-01

Endophytes are microbes that inhabit host plants without causing disease and are reported to be reservoirs of metabolites that combat microbes and other pathogens. Here we review diverse classes of secondary metabolites, focusing on anti-microbial compounds, synthesized by fungal endophytes including terpenoids, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, aliphatic compounds, polyketides, and peptides from the interdisciplinary perspectives of biochemistry, genetics, fungal biology, host plant biology, human and plant pathology. Several trends were apparent. First, host plants are often investigated for endophytes when there is prior indigenous knowledge concerning human medicinal uses (e.g., Chinese herbs). However, within their native ecosystems, and where investigated, endophytes were shown to produce compounds that target pathogens of the host plant. In a few examples, both fungal endophytes and their hosts were reported to produce the same compounds. Terpenoids and polyketides are the most purified anti-microbial secondary metabolites from endophytes, while flavonoids and lignans are rare. Examples are provided where fungal genes encoding anti-microbial compounds are clustered on chromosomes. As different genera of fungi can produce the same metabolite, genetic clustering may facilitate sharing of anti-microbial secondary metabolites between fungi. We discuss gaps in the literature and how more interdisciplinary research may lead to new opportunities to develop bio-based commercial products to combat global crop and human pathogens.

Interdisciplinary Approach: A Lever to Business Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Razmak, Jamil; Bélanger, Charles H.

2016-01-01

The advances in interdisciplinary studies are driving universities to utilize their available resources to efficiently enable development processes and provide increasing examples of research while gradually allocating the disciplines' resources. Ultimately, this trend asks universities to provide a platform of integrated disciplines, along with…

Where's All the Teamwork Gone? A Qualitative Analysis of Cooperation between Members of Two Interdisciplinary Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruce, Jacklyn A.; Ricketts, Kristina G.

2008-01-01

This study explored cooperation between members of two interdisciplinary teams of educators within the agricultural field in a northeastern state. A researcher-developed instrument was used to explore individual perceptions regarding interdisciplinary cooperation. Using qualitative methods, the researchers intended to bring to light the thoughts,…

Predictors of food decision making: A systematic interdisciplinary mapping (SIM) review.

PubMed

Symmank, Claudia; Mai, Robert; Hoffmann, Stefan; Stok, F Marijn; Renner, Britta; Lien, Nanna; Rohm, Harald

2017-03-01

The number of publications on consumer food decision making and its predictors and correlates has been steadily increasing over the last three decades. Given that different scientific disciplines illuminate this topic from different perspectives, it is necessary to develop an interdisciplinary overview. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic interdisciplinary mapping (SIM) review by using rapid review techniques to explore the state-of-the-art, and to identify hot topics and research gaps in this field. This interdisciplinary review includes 1,820 publications in 485 different journals and other types of publications from more than ten disciplines (including nutritional science, medicine/health science, psychology, food science and technology, business research, etc.) across a period of 60 years. The identified predictors of food decision making were categorized in line with the recently proposed DONE (Determinants Of Nutrition and Eating behavior) framework. After applying qualitative and quantitative analyses, this study reveals that most of the research emphasizes biological, psychological, and product-related predictors, whereas policy-related influences on food choice are scarcely considered. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Knowledge and attitude toward interdisciplinary team working among obstetricians and gynecologists in teaching hospitals in South East Nigeria.

PubMed

Iyoke, Chukwuemeka Anthony; Lawani, Lucky Osaheni; Ugwu, George Onyemaechi; Ajah, Leonard Ogbonna; Ezugwu, Euzebus Chinonye; Onah, Paul; Onwuka, Chidinma Ifechi

2015-01-01

Interdisciplinary team working could facilitate the efficient provision and coordination of increasingly diverse health services, thereby improving the quality of patient care. The purpose of this study was to describe knowledge of interdisciplinary team working among obstetricians and gynecologists in two teaching hospitals in South East Nigeria and to determine their attitude toward an interdisciplinary collaborative approach to patient care in these institutions. This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and was carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 17.0 for Windows. In total, 116 doctors participated in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 31.9±7.0 (range 22-51) years. Approximately 74% of respondents were aware of the concept of interdisciplinary team working. Approximately 15% of respondents who were aware of the concept of interdisciplinary team working had very good knowledge of it; 52% had good knowledge and 33% had poor knowledge. Twenty-nine percent of knowledgeable respondents reported ever receiving formal teaching/training on interdisciplinary team working in the course of their professional development. About 78% of those aware of team working believed that interdisciplinary teams would be useful in obstetrics and gynecology practice in Nigeria, with 89% stating that it would be very useful. Approximately 77% of those aware of team working would support establishment and implementation of interdisciplinary teams at their centers. There was a high degree of knowledge of the concept and a positive attitude toward interdisciplinary team working among obstetricians and gynecologists in the study centers. This suggests that the attitude of physicians may not be an impediment to implementation of a collaborative interdisciplinary approach to clinical care in the study centers.

Knowledge and attitude toward interdisciplinary team working among obstetricians and gynecologists in teaching hospitals in South East Nigeria

PubMed Central

Iyoke, Chukwuemeka Anthony; Lawani, Lucky Osaheni; Ugwu, George Onyemaechi; Ajah, Leonard Ogbonna; Ezugwu, Euzebus Chinonye; Onah, Paul; Onwuka, Chidinma Ifechi

2015-01-01

Background Interdisciplinary team working could facilitate the efficient provision and coordination of increasingly diverse health services, thereby improving the quality of patient care. The purpose of this study was to describe knowledge of interdisciplinary team working among obstetricians and gynecologists in two teaching hospitals in South East Nigeria and to determine their attitude toward an interdisciplinary collaborative approach to patient care in these institutions. Methods This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and was carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 17.0 for Windows. Results In total, 116 doctors participated in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 31.9±7.0 (range 22–51) years. Approximately 74% of respondents were aware of the concept of interdisciplinary team working. Approximately 15% of respondents who were aware of the concept of interdisciplinary team working had very good knowledge of it; 52% had good knowledge and 33% had poor knowledge. Twenty-nine percent of knowledgeable respondents reported ever receiving formal teaching/training on interdisciplinary team working in the course of their professional development. About 78% of those aware of team working believed that interdisciplinary teams would be useful in obstetrics and gynecology practice in Nigeria, with 89% stating that it would be very useful. Approximately 77% of those aware of team working would support establishment and implementation of interdisciplinary teams at their centers. Conclusion There was a high degree of knowledge of the concept and a positive attitude toward interdisciplinary team working among obstetricians and gynecologists in the study centers. This suggests that the attitude of physicians may not be an impediment to implementation of a collaborative interdisciplinary approach to clinical care in the study centers. PMID:26064058

Using Technology to Facilitate Collaboration in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)

PubMed Central

Jessell, Lauren; Smith, Vivian; Jemal, Alexis; Windsor, Liliane

2017-01-01

This study explores the use of Computer-Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) technologies, by way of a computer-based system called iCohere. This system was used to facilitate collaboration conducting Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). Data was gathered from 13 members of a Community Collaborative Board (CCB). Analysis revealed that iCohere served the following functions: facilitating communication, providing a depository for information and resource sharing, and allowing for remote meeting attendance. Results indicated that while iCohere was useful in performing these functions, less expensive technologies had the potential to achieve similar goals if properly implemented. Implications for future research on CSCW systems and CBPR are discussed. PMID:29056871

Mentoring Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Students via a Team Effort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karsai, Istvan; Knisley, Jeff; Knisley, Debra; Yampolsky, Lev; Godbole, Anant

2011-01-01

We describe how a team approach that we developed as a mentoring strategy can be used to recruit, advance, and guide students to be more interested in the interdisciplinary field of mathematical biology, and lead to success in undergraduate research in this field. Students are introduced to research in their first semester via lab rotations. Their…

Barriers and Facilitators of African American Participation in Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker Research

PubMed Central

Williams, Monique M.; Scharff, Darcell P.; Mathews, Katherine J.; Hoffsuemmer, Jonathan S.; Jackson, Pamela; Morris, John C.; Edwards, Dorothy F.

2010-01-01

African Americans experience a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but are underrepresented in AD research. Our study examined barriers and facilitators of AD research participation among African Americans. Investigators conducted 11 focus groups with African American participants (n=70) who discussed barriers and facilitators to AD research participation including lumbar puncture (LP) studies. The moderator and co-moderator independently reviewed transcripts, identified themes, and coded transcripts for analysis. Participants were predominately female (73%) with a mean age of 52y (range 21–86y). Concerns and attitudes were consistent across education, socioeconomic status, and gender. Mistrust was a fundamental reason for nonparticipation. Additional barriers included insufficient information dissemination in the African American community, inconvenience, and reputation of the researcher and research institution. Barriers to participation in AD biomarker studies were fear of the unknown and adverse effects. Altruism and relevance of research projects to the individual, family members, or the African American community facilitate participation. Increased participation results from relationships with the community that extend beyond immediate research interests, dissemination of research findings, and emphasis on relevance of proposed studies. Pervasive barriers impede African American participation in AD research but can be overcome through a sustained presence in the community. PMID:20711059

Geodetic, Geologic and Seismic Interdisciplinary Research of Tectonically Caused Movements in the Wider Area of the City of Zagreb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dapo, A.; Pribicevic, B.; Herak, M.; Prelogovic, E.

2012-04-01

Since the last great earthquake in 1880 which shook the Zagreb area with IX° MCS, tectonic movements and models of numerous Zagreb faults have been the focal point of Croatian geologists, seismologists and in the last 15 years also geodetic scientists, who all have been working in the scope of their scientific branches on bringing the light to the tectonic mechanisms in the wider Zagreb area. Since it is tectonically very active area and being the Capitol city of the Croatia with very high population density it is of utmost importance to understand those mechanisms and to according to them find the best possible measures for protecting people and valuables. Best results are certainly going to be achieved through the interdisciplinary approach. That is why this paper presents first interdisciplinary results from geodetic, geologic and seismic researches and their contribution to the collective knowledge about tectonic movements in the wider area of the City of Zagreb.

Hazards inherent in interdisciplinary behavioral research

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Many, if not all, questions in biology and psychology today were formulated and considered in depth, though typically in a different language, from the 1700's to the early 1900's. However, because of politics or fashion, some topics fell out of favor or failed to recruit new scientists and hence languished. Despite greatly expanded scholarship in the history of the life sciences in the twentieth century, many such topics have had to be rediscovered in recent years, while much of the wisdom already accrued stays in the older literature and not in active minds. This is particularly true today when scientific advances appear at breakneck speed. It would not be an exaggeration to say that many ‘breakthroughs’ turn out really to be rediscoveries of forgotten observations. Two areas of particular significance to the interdisciplinary study of behavior are the Norms of Reaction (from Biology) and the concept of Plasticity (from Psychology). These and related fields benefit from the perspective of epigenetics so long as rigorous operational definitions are implemented. It is also important to revive Hogben's admonition that the interaction of hereditary and environment cannot be understood outside of the context of development. Five examples of increasing complexity in phenotypic plasticity in brain and behavior are presented to illustrate this perspective. PMID:26816520

Vocational rehabilitation: facilitating evidence based practice through participatory action research.

PubMed

Maciver, Donald; Prior, Susan; Forsyth, Kirsty; Walsh, Mike; Meiklejohn, Allison; Irvine, Linda; Pentland, Duncan

2013-04-01

Improving vocational rehabilitation in line with the current evidence base is an area of considerable interest. Aims To describe the strategies used by a multidisciplinary team in the initial stages of a participatory action research (PAR) approach to improving a vocational rehabilitation service. A literature review and PAR process were completed. One hundred and fifteen participants engaged in multifaceted data collection and analysis, building consensus around key principles for a new vocational rehabilitation service. A synthesis of our literature review and PAR process was developed into a set of principles for practice which we plan to implement across the service. We have developed methodologies in interdisciplinary collaborations spanning statutory and non-statutory services. We have developed a set of principles for practice and detailed plans for implementation are being drawn up to inform provision in the future.

Interdisciplinary Research on Education and Its Disciplines: Processes of Change and Lines of Conflict in Unstable Academic Expert Cultures: Germany as an Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terhart, Ewald

2017-01-01

This article discusses problems of reconstructing the recent development in the field of empirical research on education ("empirische Bildungsforschung"), especially problems resulting from its interdisciplinary character, its divergent institutional contexts and its multimethod approach. The article looks at the position of various…

Creating Socially Networked Knowledge through Interdisciplinary Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chuk, Eric; Hoetzlein, Rama; Kim, David; Panko, Julia

2012-01-01

We report on the experience of creating a socially networked system, the Research-oriented Social Environment (RoSE), for representing knowledge in the form of relationships between people, documents, and groups. Developed as an intercampus, interdisciplinary project of the University of California, this work reflects on a collaboration between…

Promoting Interdisciplinary Education: The Vienna Doctoral Programme on Water Resource Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blöschl, Günter; Bucher, Christian; Carr, Gemma; Farnleitner, Andreas; Rechberger, Helmut; Wagner, Wolfgang; Zessner, Matthias

2010-05-01

An interdisciplinary approach is often described as a valuable strategy to assist in overcoming the existing and emerging challenges to water resource management. The development of educational approaches to instil a culture of interdisciplinarity in the future generation of water resource professionals will help to meet this strategic need. The Vienna Doctoral Programme on Water Resource Systems demonstrates how the adoption of an interdisciplinary education framework has been applied to a graduate programme in the water sciences. The interdisciplinary approach aims to provide doctoral research students with an understanding of the wide spectrum of processes relevant to water resource systems. This will enable them to bring together a range of ideas, strategies and methods to their current research and future careers. The education programme also aims to teach the softer skills required for successful interdisciplinary work such as the ability to communicate clearly with non-specialist professionals and the capacity to listen to and accommodate suggestions from experts in different disciplines, which have often not traditionally been grouped together. The Vienna Doctoral Programme achieves these aims through teaching an appreciation for a wide variety of approaches including laboratory analysis, field studies and numerical methods across the fields of hydrology, remote sensing, hydrogeology, structural mechanics, microbiology, water quality and resource management. Teaching takes the form of a detailed study programme on topics such as socio-economic concepts, resource and river basin management, modelling and simulation methods, health related water quality targets, urban water management, spatial data from remote sensing and basics for stochastic mechanics. Courses are also held by internationally recognised top scientists, and a guest scientist seminar series allows doctoral researchers to profit from the expertise of senior researchers from around the world

Editorial "The Interdisciplinary Nature of SOIL"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, E. C.; Cerdá, A.; Mataix-Solera, J.; Pereg, L.; Quinton, J. N.; Six, J.; Van Oost, K.

2014-09-01

The holistic study of soils requires an interdisciplinary approach involving biologists, chemists, geologists, and physicists amongst others, something that has been true from the earliest days of the field. This approach has been strengthened and reinforced as current research continues to use experts trained in both soil science and related fields and by the wide array of issues impacting the world's biosphere that require an in-depth understanding of soils. Of fundamental importance amongst these issues are biodiversity, biofuels/energy security, climate change, ecosystem services, food security, human health, land degradation, and water security, each representing a critical challenge for research. In order to establish a benchmark for the type of research we seek to highlight in each issue of SOIL, here in this editorial, we outline the interdisciplinary nature of soil science research that we are seeking for in SOIL, with a focus on the myriad ways soil science can be used to expand investigation into a more holistic and therefore richer approach to soil research. In addition, we provide a selection of invited review papers in the first issue of SOIL that address the study of soils and the ways in which soil investigations are essential to other related fields. We hope that both this editorial and the first issue will serve as examples of the kinds of topics we would like to see published in SOIL and will stimulate excitement among our readers and authors to participate in this new venture.

eEducation: Interdisciplinary Crossroads. Research Paper: Connecting Technology to Teaching and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Micken, Kathleen S.; Cutting, Alan C.

This paper presents the framework used in implementing "Marketing on the Web," an interdisciplinary course that integrates marketing and technology strategies, with an approach that is grounded in cognitive psychology and in constructionist theory. Though applied at the undergraduate level, the framework may be adapted to primary through graduate…

Students' Reasoning about "High-Energy Bonds" and ATP: A Vision of Interdisciplinary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dreyfus, Benjamin W.; Sawtelle, Vashti; Turpen, Chandra; Gouvea, Julia; Redish, Edward F.

2014-01-01

As interdisciplinary courses are developed, instructors and researchers have to grapple with questions of how students should make connections across disciplines. We explore the issue of interdisciplinary reconciliation (IDR): how students reconcile seemingly contradictory ideas from different disciplines. While IDR has elements in common with…

42 CFR 460.102 - Interdisciplinary team.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Interdisciplinary team. 460.102 Section 460.102... ELDERLY (PACE) PACE Services § 460.102 Interdisciplinary team. (a) Basic requirement. A PACE organization must meet the following requirements: (1) Establish an interdisciplinary team at each Pace center to...

42 CFR 460.102 - Interdisciplinary team.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Interdisciplinary team. 460.102 Section 460.102... ELDERLY (PACE) PACE Services § 460.102 Interdisciplinary team. (a) Basic requirement. A PACE organization must meet the following requirements: (1) Establish an interdisciplinary team at each Pace center to...

42 CFR 460.102 - Interdisciplinary team.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Interdisciplinary team. 460.102 Section 460.102... ELDERLY (PACE) PACE Services § 460.102 Interdisciplinary team. (a) Basic requirement. A PACE organization must meet the following requirements: (1) Establish an interdisciplinary team at each Pace center to...

42 CFR 460.102 - Interdisciplinary team.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Interdisciplinary team. 460.102 Section 460.102... ELDERLY (PACE) PACE Services § 460.102 Interdisciplinary team. (a) Basic requirement. A PACE organization must meet the following requirements: (1) Establish an interdisciplinary team at each Pace center to...

42 CFR 460.102 - Interdisciplinary team.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Interdisciplinary team. 460.102 Section 460.102... ELDERLY (PACE) PACE Services § 460.102 Interdisciplinary team. (a) Basic requirement. A PACE organization must meet the following requirements: (1) Establish an interdisciplinary team at each Pace center to...

Expanding the Classroom: Benefits of Field Classes for Interdisciplinary Courses.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwarzschild, A.

2014-12-01

Ecological Research stations are often used to house field trips and short courses for science classes. These facilities, however, can also provide unique benefits when used for interdisciplinary courses and Professional Development programs not directly tied to field research. Located near the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula, the University of Virginia's Anheuser-Busch Coastal Research Center (ABCRC) serves as the field station for the Virginia Coast Reserve Long Term Ecological Research Program (VCR-LTER). Along with hosting field trips and short course for subjects like Marine Biology, Aquatic Ecology and Coastal Geology, the ABCRC has recently hosted Professional Development programs for public school Art teachers and a Nature Writing class for college students. These interdisciplinary programs are part of the ABCRC's participation in the Ecological Reflections Program (http://www.ecologicalreflections.com/) sponsored by The National Science Foundation and the LTER Network, with a goal of tying VCR-LTER data with the Humanities to increase appreciation of coastal environments and the ecosystem services they provide. Participants in these interdisciplinary programs are exposed to cutting edge field research and immersed (often quite literally) in coastal environments while they practice their art forms. The resulting paintings, drawings, nature essays and short stories demonstrate the impacts exposure to natural environments can have on program participants and how these experiences may shape their future works. Public exhibitions and readings allow these experiences to be shared with a larger audience.

Barriers and facilitators to recruitment of South Asians to health research: a scoping review

PubMed Central

Frimer, Leora; Janssen, Patricia A; Lamers, Yvonne

2017-01-01

Objectives People of South Asian ethnicity are under-represented in health research studies. The objectives of this scoping review were to examine the barriers and facilitators to recruitment of South Asians to health research studies and to describe strategies for improving recruitment. Design Scoping review Methods Using the Arksey and O’Malley framework for scoping reviews, we comprehensively searched electronic databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and PsycINFO). Studies that identified barriers and facilitators to recruitment, or recruitment strategies for South Asian populations were included. Recruitment barriers, facilitators and strategies were grouped thematically and summarised narratively. Synthesis Of 1846 potentially relevant articles, 15 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the thematic synthesis. Multiple facilitators and barriers to enrolment of South Asians in health research studies were identified; these most commonly related to logistical challenges, language and cultural barriers, concerns about adverse consequences of participating and mistrust of research. Several actionable strategies were discussed, the most common being engagement of South Asian communities, demonstration of cultural competency, provision of incentives and benefits, language sensitivity through the use of translators and translated materials and the development of trust and personal relationships. Conclusion There is a growing awareness of the barriers and facilitators to recruitment of South Asian participants to health research studies. Knowledge of effective recruitment strategies and implementation during the grant funding stages may reduce the risk of poor recruitment and representation of South Asians. PMID:28576896

Supporting students in building interdisciplinary connections across physics and biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turpen, Chandra

2014-03-01

Our research team has been engaged in the iterative redesign of an Introductory Physics course for Life Science (IPLS) majors to explicitly bridge biology and physics in ways that are authentic to the disciplines. Our interdisciplinary course provides students opportunities to examine how modeling decisions (e.g. knowing when and how to use different concepts, identifying implicit assumptions, making and justifying assumptions) may differ depending on canonical disciplinary aims and interests. Our focus on developing students' interdisciplinary reasoning skills requires 1) shifting course topics to focus on core ideas that span the disciplines, 2) shifting epistemological expectations, and 3) foregrounding typically tacit disciplinary assumptions. In working to build an authentic interdisciplinary course that bridges physics and biology, we pay careful attention to supporting students in constructing these bridges. This course has been shown to have important impacts: a) students seek meaningful connections between the disciplines, b) students perceive relevance and utility of ideas from different disciplines, and c) students reconcile challenging disciplinary ideas. Although our focus has been on building interdisciplinary coherence, we have succeeded in maintaining strong student learning gains on fundamental physics concepts and allowed students to deepen their understanding of challenging concepts in thermodynamics. This presentation will describe the shifts in course content and the modern pedagogical approaches that have been integrated into the course, and provide an overview of key research results from this project. These results may aid physicists in reconsidering how they can meaningfully reach life-science students. This work is supported by NSF-TUES DUE 11-22818, the HHMI NEXUS grant, and a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (DGE 0750616).

Female competition and aggression: interdisciplinary perspectives

PubMed Central

Stockley, Paula; Campbell, Anne

2013-01-01

This paper introduces a Theme Issue combining interdisciplinary perspectives in the study of female competition and aggression. Despite a history of being largely overlooked, evidence is now accumulating for the widespread evolutionary significance of female competition. Here, we provide a synthesis of contributions to this Theme Issue on humans and other vertebrates, and highlight directions for future research. Females compete for resources needed to survive and reproduce, and for preferred mates. Although female aggression takes diverse forms, under most circumstances relatively low-risk competitive strategies are favoured, most probably due to constraints of offspring production and care. In social species, dominance relationships and threats of punishment can resolve social conflict without resort to direct aggression, and coalitions or alliances may reduce risk of retaliation. Consistent with these trends, indirect aggression is a low cost but effective form of competition among young women. Costs are also minimized by flexibility in expression of competitive traits, with aggressive behaviour and competitive signalling tailored to social and ecological conditions. Future research on female competition and the proximate mediators of female aggression will be greatly enhanced by opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange, as evidenced by contributions to this Theme Issue. PMID:24167303

Strategies for collaboration in the interdisciplinary field of emerging zoonotic diseases.

PubMed

Anholt, R M; Stephen, C; Copes, R

2012-06-01

The integration of the veterinary, medical and environmental sciences necessary to predict, prevent or respond to emerging zoonotic diseases requires effective collaboration and exchange of knowledge across these disciplines. There has been no research into how to connect and integrate these professions in the pursuit of a common task. We conducted a literature search looking at the experiences and wisdom resulting from collaborations built in health partnerships, health research knowledge transfer and exchange, business knowledge management and systems design engineering to identify key attributes of successful interdisciplinary (ID) collaboration. This was followed by a workshop with 16 experts experienced in ID collaboration including physicians, veterinarians and biologists from private practice, academia and government agencies. The workshop participants shared their perspectives on the facilitators and barriers to ID collaboration. Our results found that the elements that can support or impede ID collaboration can be categorized as follows: the characteristics of the people, the degree to which the task is a shared goal, the policies, practices and resources of the workplace, how information technology is used and the evaluation of the results. Above all, personal relationships built on trust and respect are needed to best assemble the disciplinary strength of the professions. The challenge of meeting collaborators outside the boundaries of one's discipline or jurisdiction may be met by an independent third party, an ID knowledge broker. The broker would know where the knowledge could be found, would facilitate introductions and would help to build effective ID teams. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Synthesis and Physical Properties of Liquid Crystals: An Interdisciplinary Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Hecke, Gerald R.; Karukstis, Kerry K.; Hanhan Li; Hendargo, Hansford C.; Cosand, Andrew J.; Fox, Marja M.

2005-01-01

A study involves multiple chemistry and physics concepts applied to a state of matter that has biological relevance. An experiment involving the synthesis and physical properties of liquid crystals illustrates the interdisciplinary nature of liquid crystal research and the practical devices derived from such research.

Interdisciplinary Relationships in Technical Education: The CORD Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hull, Daniel M.

1990-01-01

The director of the Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD) suggests areas in a technical curriculum that could be improved using an interdisciplinary approach: (1) systems; (2) the electromechanical core; (3) the mathematics/science base; (4) computers; and (5) interpersonal/communication skills. (Author)

Interdisciplinary Care Planning and the Written Care Plan in Nursing Homes: A Critical Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dellefield, Mary Ellen

2006-01-01

Purpose: This article is a critical review of the history, research evidence, and state-of-the-art technology in interdisciplinary care planning and the written plan of care in American nursing homes. Design and Methods: We reviewed educational and empirical literature. Results: Interdisciplinary care planning and the written care plan are…

PREFACE: 3rd International Youth Conference "Interdisciplinary Problems of Nanotechnology, Biomedicine and Nanotoxicology" (Nanobiotech 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Refsnes, Magne, Prof; Gusev, Alexander, Dr; Godymchuk, Anna, Dr; Bogdan, Anna

2015-11-01

The 3rd International Youth Conference "Interdisciplinary Problems of Nanotechnology, Biomedicine and Nanotoxicology" (Nanobiotech2015) was held on 21-22 May 2015 in Tambov, Russia, and was jointly organized by Tambov Derzhavin State University (Russia), the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Norway), the National University of Science and Technology MISiS (Russia), Tomsk Polytechnic University (Russia) and Tomsk State University. The conference gathered experienced and young researchers, post-docs and students, working in the fieldof nanotechnologies, nanomedicine, nano(eco)toxicology and risk assessment of nanomaterials, in order to facilitate the aggregation and sharing of interests and results for better collaboration and visibility of activity. The goal of Nanobiotech2015 was to bring researchers and practitioners together to share the latest knowledge on nanotechnology-specific risks to occupational and environmental health and assessing how to reduce these potential risks. The main objective of the conference is to identify, systematize and solve current scientific problems inthe sphere of nanobiotechnologies, nanomedicine and nanotoxicology, in order to join forces todetermine prospective areas and compose working groups of interested co-workers for carrying out interdisciplinary research projects. The topics of Nanobiotech2015 were: (1) Nanotechnologies in pharmaceutics and medicine; (2) Sources and mechanisms of nanoparticle release into the environment; (3) Ecological and biological effects of nanoparticles; (4) (Eco)toxicology of nanomaterials; (5) Methods for detection of nanoparticles in the environment and in biological objects; and (6) Physico-chemical properties of nanoparticles in the environment. We want to thank the Organizing Committee, the universities and sponsors supporting the conference,and everyone who contributed to the organization of this meeting, for their contribution towards the conference and for their contributions to these

The Diversity of Anti-Microbial Secondary Metabolites Produced by Fungal Endophytes: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

PubMed Central

Mousa, Walaa Kamel; Raizada, Manish N.

2013-01-01

Endophytes are microbes that inhabit host plants without causing disease and are reported to be reservoirs of metabolites that combat microbes and other pathogens. Here we review diverse classes of secondary metabolites, focusing on anti-microbial compounds, synthesized by fungal endophytes including terpenoids, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, aliphatic compounds, polyketides, and peptides from the interdisciplinary perspectives of biochemistry, genetics, fungal biology, host plant biology, human and plant pathology. Several trends were apparent. First, host plants are often investigated for endophytes when there is prior indigenous knowledge concerning human medicinal uses (e.g., Chinese herbs). However, within their native ecosystems, and where investigated, endophytes were shown to produce compounds that target pathogens of the host plant. In a few examples, both fungal endophytes and their hosts were reported to produce the same compounds. Terpenoids and polyketides are the most purified anti-microbial secondary metabolites from endophytes, while flavonoids and lignans are rare. Examples are provided where fungal genes encoding anti-microbial compounds are clustered on chromosomes. As different genera of fungi can produce the same metabolite, genetic clustering may facilitate sharing of anti-microbial secondary metabolites between fungi. We discuss gaps in the literature and how more interdisciplinary research may lead to new opportunities to develop bio-based commercial products to combat global crop and human pathogens. PMID:23543048

Investigating Bogs: An Interdisciplinary Adventure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pankiewicz, Philip R.; Schneider, Lois

1995-01-01

Presents the case for the use of bogs as ideal sites for hundreds of interdisciplinary lessons that combine chemistry, geology, various branches of biology, and wetlands archaeology. Includes general guidelines to aid in the design of interdisciplinary bog studies. (DDR)

Interdisciplinary Introductory Course in Bioinformatics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kortsarts, Yana; Morris, Robert W.; Utell, Janine M.

2010-01-01

Bioinformatics is a relatively new interdisciplinary field that integrates computer science, mathematics, biology, and information technology to manage, analyze, and understand biological, biochemical and biophysical information. We present our experience in teaching an interdisciplinary course, Introduction to Bioinformatics, which was developed…

Integrating social science and design inquiry through interdisciplinary design charrettes: an approach to participatory community problem solving.

PubMed

Sutton, Sharon E; Kemp, Susan P

2006-09-01

Interdisciplinary collaborations that aim to facilitate meaningful community outcomes require both the right mix of disciplinary knowledge and effective community participation, which together can deepen collective knowledge and the capacity to take action. This article explores three interdisciplinary design charrettes, intensive participatory workshops that addressed specific community problems and provided a context for integrating design and social science inquiry with local community knowledge. Evaluation data from the charrettes shed light on how students from the design and social science disciplines experienced the charrettes, and on their interactions with community members. Key advantages to this interdisciplinary, community-based collaboration included expanded knowledge derived from the use of multiple modes of inquiry, particularly the resulting visualization tools that helped community members understand local issues and envision novel solutions. Key drawbacks included difficulties in balancing the two disciplines, the tendency for social scientists to feel out of place on designers' turf, and the increased disciplinary and interpersonal conflicts arising from a more diverse pool of participants.

Simple Tools to Facilitate Project Management of a Nursing Research Project.

PubMed

Aycock, Dawn M; Clark, Patricia C; Thomas-Seaton, LaTeshia; Lee, Shih-Yu; Moloney, Margaret

2016-07-01

Highly organized project management facilitates rigorous study implementation. Research involves gathering large amounts of information that can be overwhelming when organizational strategies are not used. We describe a variety of project management and organizational tools used in different studies that may be particularly useful for novice researchers. The studies were a multisite study of caregivers of stroke survivors, an Internet-based diary study of women with migraines, and a pilot study testing a sleep intervention in mothers of low-birth-weight infants. Project management tools were used to facilitate enrollment, data collection, and access to results. The tools included protocol and eligibility checklists, event calendars, screening and enrollment logs, instrument scoring tables, and data summary sheets. These tools created efficiency, promoted a positive image, minimized errors, and provided researchers with a sense of control. For the studies described, there were no protocol violations, there were minimal missing data, and the integrity of data collection was maintained. © The Author(s) 2016.

Data management for interdisciplinary field experiments: OTTER project support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angelici, Gary; Popovici, Lidia; Skiles, J. W.

1993-01-01

The ability of investigators of an interdisciplinary science project to properly manage the data that are collected during the experiment is critical to the effective conduct of science. When the project becomes large, possibly including several scenes of large-format remotely sensed imagery shared by many investigators requiring several services, the data management effort can involve extensive staff and computerized data inventories. The OTTER (Oregon Transect Ecosystem Research) project was supported by the PLDS (Pilot Land Data System) with several data management services, such as data inventory, certification, and publication. After a brief description of these services, experiences in providing them are compared with earlier data management efforts and some conclusions regarding data management in support of interdisciplinary science are discussed. In addition to providing these services, a major goal of this data management capability was to adopt characteristics of a pro-active attitude, such as flexibility and responsiveness, believed to be crucial for the effective conduct of active, interdisciplinary science. These are also itemized and compared with previous data management support activities. Identifying and improving these services and characteristics can lead to the design and implementation of optimal data management support capabilities, which can result in higher quality science and data products from future interdisciplinary field experiments.

Research and Teaching: Project-Based Instruction with Future STEM Educators--An Interdisciplinary Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilhelm, Jennifer

2014-01-01

This study documented the means by which STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) educators experienced the mathematics and science associated with understanding lunar phenomena. The article reports how well STEM education graduate students interacted with projectbased materials as they engaged in interdisciplinary teaching and…

GUIDANCE IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION--GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH AND PRACTICE, A REPORT OF A NATIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY SEMINAR (OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, JANUARY 12-14, 1966).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CAMPBELL, ROBERT E., ED.

IN RESPONSE TO THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS OF VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE, THE CENTER INVITED NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED LEADERS FROM SEVERAL DISCIPLINES TO DEVELOP GUIDELINES FOR INITIATING AND IMPROVING SUCH PROGRAMS. THERE WERE SIX OVERALL GOALS--(1) TO STIMULATE INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND INTEREST, (2) TO EVALUATE THE STATUS OF THE FIELD AND TO…

Ethical use of social media to facilitate qualitative research.

PubMed

Lunnay, Belinda; Borlagdan, Joseph; McNaughton, Darlene; Ward, Paul

2015-01-01

Increasingly, qualitative health researchers might consider using social media to facilitate communication with participants. Ambiguity surrounding the potential risks intrinsic to social media could hinder ethical conduct and discourage use of this innovative method. We used some core principles of traditional human research ethics, that is, respect, integrity, and beneficence, to design our photo elicitation research that explored the social influences of drinking alcohol among 34 underage women in metropolitan South Australia. Facebook aided our communication with participants, including correspondence ranging from recruitment to feeding back results and sharing research data. This article outlines the ethical issues we encountered when using Facebook to interact with participants and provides guidance to researchers planning to incorporate social media as a tool in their qualitative studies. In particular, we raise the issues of privacy and confidentiality as contemporary risks associated with research using social media. © The Author(s) 2014.

Nurses’ Perceived Barriers to and Facilitators of Research Utilization in Mainland China: A Cross-Sectional Survey

PubMed Central

Chien, Wai-Tong; Bai, Qin; Wong, Wai-Kit; Wang, Huizhen; Lu, Xueqin

2013-01-01

Despite the drive towards evidence-based practice, the extent to which research evidence is being implemented in nursing practice is unclear, particularly in developing countries. This study was to assess the levels of perceived barriers to and facilitators of research utilization in practice among Chinese nurses and inter-relationships between these barriers and facilitators and their socio-demographic characteristics. A cross-sectional, descriptive survey was conducted in 2011 with 743 registered nurses randomly selected from four general hospitals in China. They completed the Barriers to Research Utilization and Facilitators of Research Utilization scales. Correlation tests were used to test the relationships between the nurses’ perceived barriers and facilitators, their demographic characteristics and research training and involvement. The Chinese nurses’ level of perceived barriers was moderate on average and lower than that in previous research. Among the 10 top-ranked items, six were from the subscale ‘Organizational Characteristics’. Their perceived barriers were correlated positively with age and post-registration experience and negatively with research training undertaken. Junior diplomatic nurses reported a significantly higher degree of barriers than those senior ones with postgraduate education. Higher and more diverse barriers to research utilization in practice are perceived by Chinese nurses than those in Western countries and they are associated with a few socio-demographic factors. Future research on these barriers/facilitators and their relationships with occupational and socio-cultural factors in Chinese and other Asian nurses is recommended. PMID:23919099

A modeling paradigm for interdisciplinary water resources modeling: Simple Script Wrappers (SSW)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steward, David R.; Bulatewicz, Tom; Aistrup, Joseph A.; Andresen, Daniel; Bernard, Eric A.; Kulcsar, Laszlo; Peterson, Jeffrey M.; Staggenborg, Scott A.; Welch, Stephen M.

2014-05-01

Holistic understanding of a water resources system requires tools capable of model integration. This team has developed an adaptation of the OpenMI (Open Modelling Interface) that allows easy interactions across the data passed between models. Capabilities have been developed to allow programs written in common languages such as matlab, python and scilab to share their data with other programs and accept other program's data. We call this interface the Simple Script Wrapper (SSW). An implementation of SSW is shown that integrates groundwater, economic, and agricultural models in the High Plains region of Kansas. Output from these models illustrates the interdisciplinary discovery facilitated through use of SSW implemented models. Reference: Bulatewicz, T., A. Allen, J.M. Peterson, S. Staggenborg, S.M. Welch, and D.R. Steward, The Simple Script Wrapper for OpenMI: Enabling interdisciplinary modeling studies, Environmental Modelling & Software, 39, 283-294, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2012.07.006 http://code.google.com/p/simple-script-wrapper/

An Interdisciplinary Practical for Multimedia Engineering Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcos-Jorquera, Diego; Pertegal-Felices, María Luisa; Jimeno-Morenilla, Antonio; Gilar-Corbí, Raquel

2017-01-01

Interdisciplinary projects in the industry typically require collaboration between professionals from various fields. However, this relationship is not generally addressed in the training offered by university programs, which often ignore this interdisciplinary approach. This paper offers an example of interdisciplinary interaction through joint…

Excellence in Radiation Research for the 21st Century (EIRR21): description of an innovative research training program.

PubMed

P'ng, Christine; Ito, Emma; How, Christine; Bezjak, Andrea; Bristow, Rob; Catton, Pam; Fyles, Anthony; Gospodarowicz, Mary; Jaffray, David; Kelley, Shana; Wong, Shun; Liu, Fei-Fei

2012-08-01

To describe and assess an interdisciplinary research training program for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical fellows focused on radiation medicine; funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research since 2003, the program entitled "Excellence in Radiation Research for the 21st Century" (EIRR21) aims to train the next generation of interdisciplinary radiation medicine researchers. Online surveys evaluating EIRR21 were sent to trainees (n=56), mentors (n=36), and seminar speakers (n=72). Face-to-face interviews were also conducted for trainee liaisons (n=4) and participants in the international exchange program (n=2). Overall response rates ranged from 53% (mentors) to 91% (trainees). EIRR21 was well received by trainees, with the acquisition of several important skills related to their research endeavors. An innovative seminar series, entitled Brainstorm sessions, imparting "extracurricular" knowledge in intellectual property protection, commercialization strategies, and effective communication, was considered to be the most valuable component of the program. Networking with researchers in other disciplines was also facilitated owing to program participation. EIRR21 is an innovative training program that positively impacts the biomedical community and imparts valuable skill sets to foster success for the future generation of radiation medicine researchers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Excellence in Radiation Research for the 21st Century (EIRR21): Description of an Innovative Research Training Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

P'ng, Christine; Ito, Emma; Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, Ontario

2012-08-01

Purpose: To describe and assess an interdisciplinary research training program for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical fellows focused on radiation medicine; funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research since 2003, the program entitled 'Excellence in Radiation Research for the 21st Century' (EIRR21) aims to train the next generation of interdisciplinary radiation medicine researchers. Methods and Materials: Online surveys evaluating EIRR21 were sent to trainees (n=56), mentors (n=36), and seminar speakers (n=72). Face-to-face interviews were also conducted for trainee liaisons (n=4) and participants in the international exchange program (n=2). Results: Overall response rates ranged from 53% (mentors) to 91%more » (trainees). EIRR21 was well received by trainees, with the acquisition of several important skills related to their research endeavors. An innovative seminar series, entitled Brainstorm sessions, imparting 'extracurricular' knowledge in intellectual property protection, commercialization strategies, and effective communication, was considered to be the most valuable component of the program. Networking with researchers in other disciplines was also facilitated owing to program participation. Conclusions: EIRR21 is an innovative training program that positively impacts the biomedical community and imparts valuable skill sets to foster success for the future generation of radiation medicine researchers.« less

Designing Interdisciplinary Assessments in Sciences for College Students: An example on osmosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Ji; Liu, Ou Lydia; Sung, Shannon

2014-07-01

College science education needs to foster students' habit of mind beyond disciplinary constraints. However, little research has been devoted to assessing students' interdisciplinary understanding. To address this problem, we formed a team of experts from different disciplines to develop interdisciplinary assessments that target introductory college-level science. We started our project by focusing on osmosis, a topic that involves knowledge from multiple science disciplines. We developed an instrument focusing on this topic and administered it to 3 classes of college students. A Rasch partial credit analysis showed that the items demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties. The findings also revealed the differences between student's disciplinary and interdisciplinary understanding. The educational implications of the study were discussed.

The State of the Field: Interdisciplinary Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newell, William H.

2013-01-01

This chronological overview of the development of interdisciplinary theory starts with the pre-cursors of theory: the development and elaboration of the definition of interdisciplinary studies, influential but problematic images of interdisciplinary studies proposed by Donald Campbell and Erich Jantsch, and best practices in interdisciplinary…

Ten principles of good interdisciplinary team work

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Interdisciplinary team work is increasingly prevalent, supported by policies and practices that bring care closer to the patient and challenge traditional professional boundaries. To date, there has been a great deal of emphasis on the processes of team work, and in some cases, outcomes. Method This study draws on two sources of knowledge to identify the attributes of a good interdisciplinary team; a published systematic review of the literature on interdisciplinary team work, and the perceptions of over 253 staff from 11 community rehabilitation and intermediate care teams in the UK. These data sources were merged using qualitative content analysis to arrive at a framework that identifies characteristics and proposes ten competencies that support effective interdisciplinary team work. Results Ten characteristics underpinning effective interdisciplinary team work were identified: positive leadership and management attributes; communication strategies and structures; personal rewards, training and development; appropriate resources and procedures; appropriate skill mix; supportive team climate; individual characteristics that support interdisciplinary team work; clarity of vision; quality and outcomes of care; and respecting and understanding roles. Conclusions We propose competency statements that an effective interdisciplinary team functioning at a high level should demonstrate. PMID:23663329

Ten principles of good interdisciplinary team work.

PubMed

Nancarrow, Susan A; Booth, Andrew; Ariss, Steven; Smith, Tony; Enderby, Pam; Roots, Alison

2013-05-10

Interdisciplinary team work is increasingly prevalent, supported by policies and practices that bring care closer to the patient and challenge traditional professional boundaries. To date, there has been a great deal of emphasis on the processes of team work, and in some cases, outcomes. This study draws on two sources of knowledge to identify the attributes of a good interdisciplinary team; a published systematic review of the literature on interdisciplinary team work, and the perceptions of over 253 staff from 11 community rehabilitation and intermediate care teams in the UK. These data sources were merged using qualitative content analysis to arrive at a framework that identifies characteristics and proposes ten competencies that support effective interdisciplinary team work. Ten characteristics underpinning effective interdisciplinary team work were identified: positive leadership and management attributes; communication strategies and structures; personal rewards, training and development; appropriate resources and procedures; appropriate skill mix; supportive team climate; individual characteristics that support interdisciplinary team work; clarity of vision; quality and outcomes of care; and respecting and understanding roles. We propose competency statements that an effective interdisciplinary team functioning at a high level should demonstrate.

Interdisciplinary collaboration: the role of the clinical nurse leader.

PubMed

Bender, Miriam; Connelly, Cynthia D; Brown, Caroline

2013-01-01

  To explore the feasibility and acceptability of a clinical nurse leader (CNL) role to improve interdisciplinary collaboration (IC) within a fragmented acute-care microsystem.   Fragmented patient care is associated with preventable adverse healthcare outcomes. IC decreases fragmentation and improves patient care quality. The CNL role is theorized to provide the necessary leadership and competency skill base to impact IC at the optimal organizational level, the point of care where most healthcare decisions are made.   This study used a descriptive non-experimental design. CNL daily workflow was developed to target empirical determinants of IC. Descriptive data were collected from multiple stakeholders using an investigator-developed survey.   Findings indicate the integration of the role is feasible and acceptable to the microsystem healthcare team.   Preliminary evidence suggests the CNL role may be an effective intervention to facilitate IC. More research is needed to support the CNL role's association with microsystem IC.   The CNL role presents an innovative opportunity for clinical and administrative leadership to partner together to redesign a healthcare delivery system and improve patient care quality. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Barriers and facilitators to recruitment of South Asians to health research: a scoping review.

PubMed

Quay, Teo Aw; Frimer, Leora; Janssen, Patricia A; Lamers, Yvonne

2017-06-01

People of South Asian ethnicity are under-represented in health research studies. The objectives of this scoping review were to examine the barriers and facilitators to recruitment of South Asians to health research studies and to describe strategies for improving recruitment. Scoping review METHODS: Using the Arksey and O'Malley framework for scoping reviews, we comprehensively searched electronic databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and PsycINFO). Studies that identified barriers and facilitators to recruitment, or recruitment strategies for South Asian populations were included. Recruitment barriers, facilitators and strategies were grouped thematically and summarised narratively. Of 1846 potentially relevant articles, 15 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the thematic synthesis. Multiple facilitators and barriers to enrolment of South Asians in health research studies were identified; these most commonly related to logistical challenges, language and cultural barriers, concerns about adverse consequences of participating and mistrust of research. Several actionable strategies were discussed, the most common being engagement of South Asian communities, demonstration of cultural competency, provision of incentives and benefits, language sensitivity through the use of translators and translated materials and the development of trust and personal relationships. There is a growing awareness of the barriers and facilitators to recruitment of South Asian participants to health research studies. Knowledge of effective recruitment strategies and implementation during the grant funding stages may reduce the risk of poor recruitment and representation of South Asians. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Emotional Intelligence and Emotion Work: Examining Constructs from an Interdisciplinary Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Opengart, Rose

2005-01-01

Emotional intelligence and emotion work are two research areas traditionally presented as distinct. This article reviews their definitions, examines their intersections, and illustrates the advantage of approaching emotion research from an interdisciplinary framework. Conclusions address the following: (a) An employee's emotional intelligence or…

Interdisciplinary Studies at a Crossroads

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleinberg, Ethan

2008-01-01

In today's competitive college market, "interdisciplinary studies" are a major selling point for colleges and universities. Yet, on closer examination, it is apparent that the academic structure and place of the majority of interdisciplinary programs, departments, and centers are not substantially different from the academic disciplines,…

Development Studies as an Interdisciplinary Field: Research, Teaching, and Institutional Building in Uruguay

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arocena, Rodrigo; Sutz, Judith

2016-01-01

The need that emerged in Development Studies to trespass across disciplinary boundaries is discussed. An interdisciplinary characterization of Human Sustainable Development is sketched. Some attempts at the University of the Republic in Uruguay to foster related work that connects sciences and natural sciences are briefly described. This work…

Interdisciplinary treatment of diabetes mellitus in a military treatment facility.

PubMed

Earles, J E; Hartung, G H; Dickert, J M; Moriyama, H H; Coll, K J; Aiello, L M; Jackson, R; Polonsky, W

2001-10-01

The American Diabetes Association emphasizes interdisciplinary management as the standard of care for patients with diabetes. Many times, however, interdisciplinary means various health care professionals treating a patient but not necessarily interacting with each other regarding the patient's care. Recently, Tripler Army Medical Center replicated the Joslin Diabetes Center's diabetes outpatient intensive treatment program as part of a Joslin Diabetes Center/Department of Defense/Veteran's Administration research collaboration. Tripler Army Medical Center named this interdisciplinary program Holopono, which is Hawaiian for success. Holopono is a team of health care professionals providing integrated care and education to a group of diabetes patients over 3.5 days. Individual care management, aided by an Internet-based telemedicine system, then continues for 1 year after entry into the program. This article describes the Holopono program, the role of each team member, and how the team functions together to provide comprehensive diabetes care.

Interdisciplinary Middle School Teams as Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, George Ellis, Jr.

2016-01-01

Problem: Interdisciplinary teaming has been noted as a critical element of the middle school model associated with higher student achievement. Yet, research on middle school teams' use of common planning time suggests that the majority of meeting time is spent discussing student behavior/issues, discussing student learning problems/issues, and…

Toolbox for Research, or how to facilitate a central data management in small-scale research projects.

PubMed

Bialke, Martin; Rau, Henriette; Thamm, Oliver C; Schuldt, Ronny; Penndorf, Peter; Blumentritt, Arne; Gött, Robert; Piegsa, Jens; Bahls, Thomas; Hoffmann, Wolfgang

2018-01-25

In most research projects budget, staff and IT infrastructures are limiting resources. Especially for small-scale registries and cohort studies professional IT support and commercial electronic data capture systems are too expensive. Consequently, these projects use simple local approaches (e.g. Excel) for data capture instead of a central data management including web-based data capture and proper research databases. This leads to manual processes to merge, analyze and, if possible, pseudonymize research data of different study sites. To support multi-site data capture, storage and analyses in small-scall research projects, corresponding requirements were analyzed within the MOSAIC project. Based on the identified requirements, the Toolbox for Research was developed as a flexible software solution for various research scenarios. Additionally, the Toolbox facilitates data integration of research data as well as metadata by performing necessary procedures automatically. Also, Toolbox modules allow the integration of device data. Moreover, separation of personally identifiable information and medical data by using only pseudonyms for storing medical data ensures the compliance to data protection regulations. This pseudonymized data can then be exported in SPSS format in order to enable scientists to prepare reports and analyses. The Toolbox for Research was successfully piloted in the German Burn Registry in 2016 facilitating the documentation of 4350 burn cases at 54 study sites. The Toolbox for Research can be downloaded free of charge from the project website and automatically installed due to the use of Docker technology.

Sports science needs more interdisciplinary, constraints-led research programmes: The case of water safety in New Zealand.

PubMed

Button, C; Croft, J L

2017-12-01

In the lead article of this special issue, Paul Glazier proposes that Newell's constraints model has the potential to contribute to a grand unified theory of sports performance in that it can help to integrate the disciplinary silos that have typically operated in isolation in sports and exercise science. With a few caveats discussed in this commentary, we agree with Glazier's proposal. However, his ideas suggest that there is a need to demonstrate explicitly how such an integration might occur within applied scientific research. To help fill this perceived 'gap' and thereby illustrate the value of adopting a constraints-led approach, we offer an example of our own interdisciplinary research programme. We believe our research on water safety is ideally suited to this task due to the diverse range of interacting constraints present and as such provides a tangible example of how this approach can unify different disciplinary perspectives examining an important aspect of sport performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Framing the Universal Design of Information and Communication Technology: An Interdisciplinary Model for Research and Practice.

PubMed

Giannoumis, G Anthony

2016-01-01

Research has yet to provide an interdisciplinary framework for examining ICT accessibility as it relates to Universal Design. This article assesses the conceptualizations and interdisciplinarity of ICT accessibility and Universal Design research. This article uses a grounded theory approach to pose a multilevel framework for Universal Design. The macro level, consists of scholarship that examines the context of Universal Design, and is typified by legal and sociological studies that investigate social norms and environments. The meso level, which consists of scholarship that examines activity in Universal Design as an approach to removing barriers for use and participation. The meso level is typified by studies of computer science and engineering that investigate the use of technology as a mechanism of participation. The micro level consists of scholarship that examines individuals and groups in Universal Design as an approach to understanding human characteristics. The micro level is typified by studies of human factors and psychology. This article argues that the multilevel framework for Universal Design may help remove the artificial separation between disciplines concerned with ICT accessibility and promote more fruitful research and development.

Co-Creating theories and research design for an interdisciplinary project dealing with capacity building for people with migration background in Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Karin; Tscharner, Susanna; Stickler, Therese; Fuchs, Britta; Damyanovic, Doris; Hübl, Johannes

2017-04-01

Understanding spatial and social aspects of vulnerability is of growing importance in the context of climate change and natural hazards. The interplay of structural factors, socio-demographic aspects, current risk communication strategies, spatial planning instruments and related processes and the current spatial and environmental situation, including hazards and hazard zones, geographical locations, building and settlement types, contributing to people`s vulnerabilities needs to be analysed and understood to reduce vulnerability and to foster resilience. The project "CCCapMig" (Climate change and capacity building for people with migration background in Austria) aims at linking spatial and technical, as well as organisational and social aspects of climate change and natural hazards. This paper focuses on the co-creation of the theoretical framework and concepts and outlines the research design for this interdisciplinary cross-analysis of several case studies in rural Austria. The project is designed as an inter- and transdisciplinary survey and brings together engineering sciences, spatial sciences and social sciences. Reflecting the interdisciplinary approach, a theoretical framework was developed that refers to a combination of both theories and frameworks from vulnerability research, theories of risk perception and spatial theories and methods like the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, the Protection-Motivation Theory and Landscape-Planning Theories: The "Sustainable Livelihoods Framework" adapted (by FA0) for disaster risk management offers an analytical framework to understand the emergence of vulnerabilities from the perspective of people`s livelihoods on individual and community level. It includes human, social, natural, physical and financial aspects and the role of institutions, policies and legal rights in reducing or increasing exposure to disaster risk and coping capacities. Additionally, theories on risk perception, especially Protection

Interdisciplinary Research to Elucidate Mechanisms Governing Silver Nanoparticle Fate and Transport in Porous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennell, K. D.; Mittleman, A.; Taghavy, A.; Fortner, J.; Lantagne, D.; Abriola, L. M.

2014-12-01

Interdisciplinary Research to Elucidate Mechanisms Governing Silver Nanoparticle Fate and Transport in Porous Media Anjuliee M. Mittelman, Amir Taghavy, Yonggang Wang, John D. Fortner, Daniele S. Lantagne, Linda M. Abriola and Kurt D. Pennell* Detailed knowledge of the processes governing nanoparticle transport and reactivity in porous media is essential for accurate predictions of environmental fate, water and wastewater treatment system performance, and assessment of potential risks to ecosystems and water supplies. To address these issues, an interdisciplinary research team combined experimental and mathematical modeling studies to investigate the mobility, dissolution, and aging of silver nanoparticles (nAg) in representative aquifer materials and ceramic filters. Results of one-dimensional column studies, conducted with water-saturated sands maintained at pH 4 or 7 and three levels of dissolved oxygen (DO), revealed that fraction of silver mass eluted as Ag+ increased with increasing DO level, and that the dissolution of attached nAg decreased over time as a result of surface oxidation. A hybrid Eulerain-Lagragian nanoparticle transport model, which incorporates DO-dependent dissolution kinetics and particle aging, was able to accurately simulate nAg mobility and Ag+ release measured in the column experiments. Model sensitivity analysis indicated that as the flow velocity and particle size decrease, nAg dissolution and Ag+ transport processes increasingly govern silver mobility. Consistent results were obtained in studies of ceramic water filters treated with nAg, where silver elution was shown to be governed by nAg dissolution to form Ag+ and subsequent cation exchange reactions. Recent studies explored the effects of surface coating aging on nAg aggregation, mobility and dissolution. Following ultraviolet light, nAg retention in water saturated sand increased by 25-50%, while up to 50% of the applied mass eluted as Ag+ compared to less than 1% for un-aged n

Interdisciplinary Research to Elucidate Mechanisms Governing Silver Nanoparticle Fate and Transport in Porous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennell, K. D.; Mittleman, A.; Taghavy, A.; Fortner, J.; Lantagne, D.; Abriola, L. M.

2015-12-01

Interdisciplinary Research to Elucidate Mechanisms Governing Silver Nanoparticle Fate and Transport in Porous Media Anjuliee M. Mittelman, Amir Taghavy, Yonggang Wang, John D. Fortner, Daniele S. Lantagne, Linda M. Abriola and Kurt D. Pennell* Detailed knowledge of the processes governing nanoparticle transport and reactivity in porous media is essential for accurate predictions of environmental fate, water and wastewater treatment system performance, and assessment of potential risks to ecosystems and water supplies. To address these issues, an interdisciplinary research team combined experimental and mathematical modeling studies to investigate the mobility, dissolution, and aging of silver nanoparticles (nAg) in representative aquifer materials and ceramic filters. Results of one-dimensional column studies, conducted with water-saturated sands maintained at pH 4 or 7 and three levels of dissolved oxygen (DO), revealed that fraction of silver mass eluted as Ag+ increased with increasing DO level, and that the dissolution of attached nAg decreased over time as a result of surface oxidation. A hybrid Eulerain-Lagragian nanoparticle transport model, which incorporates DO-dependent dissolution kinetics and particle aging, was able to accurately simulate nAg mobility and Ag+ release measured in the column experiments. Model sensitivity analysis indicated that as the flow velocity and particle size decrease, nAg dissolution and Ag+ transport processes increasingly govern silver mobility. Consistent results were obtained in studies of ceramic water filters treated with nAg, where silver elution was shown to be governed by nAg dissolution to form Ag+ and subsequent cation exchange reactions. Recent studies explored the effects of surface coating aging on nAg aggregation, mobility and dissolution. Following ultraviolet light, nAg retention in water saturated sand increased by 25-50%, while up to 50% of the applied mass eluted as Ag+ compared to less than 1% for un-aged n

User Interface Developed for Controls/CFD Interdisciplinary Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center, in conjunction with the University of Akron, is developing analytical methods and software tools to create a cross-discipline "bridge" between controls and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technologies. Traditionally, the controls analyst has used simulations based on large lumping techniques to generate low-order linear models convenient for designing propulsion system controls. For complex, high-speed vehicles such as the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT), simulations based on CFD methods are required to capture the relevant flow physics. The use of CFD should also help reduce the development time and costs associated with experimentally tuning the control system. The initial application for this research is the High Speed Civil Transport inlet control problem. A major aspect of this research is the development of a controls/CFD interface for non-CFD experts, to facilitate the interactive operation of CFD simulations and the extraction of reduced-order, time-accurate models from CFD results. A distributed computing approach for implementing the interface is being explored. Software being developed as part of the Integrated CFD and Experiments (ICE) project provides the basis for the operating environment, including run-time displays and information (data base) management. Message-passing software is used to communicate between the ICE system and the CFD simulation, which can reside on distributed, parallel computing systems. Initially, the one-dimensional Large-Perturbation Inlet (LAPIN) code is being used to simulate a High Speed Civil Transport type inlet. LAPIN can model real supersonic inlet features, including bleeds, bypasses, and variable geometry, such as translating or variable-ramp-angle centerbodies. Work is in progress to use parallel versions of the multidimensional NPARC code.

The nature and outcomes of work: a replication and extension of interdisciplinary work-design research.

PubMed

Edwards, J R; Scully, J A; Brtek, M D

2000-12-01

Research into the changing nature of work requires comprehensive models of work design. One such model is the interdisciplinary framework (M. A. Campion, 1988), which integrates 4 work-design approaches (motivational, mechanistic, biological, perceptual-motor) and links each approach to specific outcomes. Unfortunately, studies of this framework have used methods that disregard measurement error, overlook dimensions within each work-design approach, and treat each approach and outcome separately. This study reanalyzes data from M. A. Campion (1988), using structural equation models that incorporate measurement error, specify multiple dimensions for each work-design approach, and examine the work-design approaches and outcomes jointly. Results show that previous studies underestimate relationships between work-design approaches and outcomes and that dimensions within each approach exhibit relationships with outcomes that differ in magnitude and direction.

Collaboration, interdisciplinary thinking, and communication: new approaches to K-12 ecology education

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ecologists often engage in global-scale research through partnerships among scientists from many disciplines. Such research projects require collaboration, interdisciplinary thinking, and strong communication skills. We advocate including these three practices as an integral part of ecology educatio...

Bigger Is (Maybe) Better: Librarians' Views of Interdisciplinary Databases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbert, Julie K.

2010-01-01

This study investigates librarians' satisfaction with general interdisciplinary databases for undergraduate research and explores possibilities for improving these databases. Results from a national survey suggest that librarians at a variety of institutions are relatively satisfied overall with the content and usability of general,…

Doppler Lidar System Design via Interdisciplinary Design Concept at NASA Langley Research Center - Part III

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnes, Bruce W.; Sessions, Alaric M.; Beyon, Jeffrey; Petway, Larry B.

2014-01-01

Optimized designs of the Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL) instrument for Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) were accomplished via Interdisciplinary Design Concept (IDEC) at NASA Langley Research Center during the summer of 2013. Three branches in the Engineering Directorate and three students were involved in this joint task through the NASA Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars (LARSS) Program. The Laser Remote Sensing Branch (LRSB), Mechanical Systems Branch (MSB), and Structural and Thermal Systems Branch (STSB) were engaged to achieve optimal designs through iterative and interactive collaborative design processes. A preliminary design iteration was able to reduce the power consumption, mass, and footprint by removing redundant components and replacing inefficient components with more efficient ones. A second design iteration reduced volume and mass by replacing bulky components with excessive performance with smaller components custom-designed for the power system. The existing power system was analyzed to rank components in terms of inefficiency, power dissipation, footprint and mass. Design considerations and priorities are compared along with the results of each design iteration. Overall power system improvements are summarized for design implementations.

Employing Model-Based Reasoning in Interdisciplinary Research Teams: Evidence-Based Practices for Integrating Knowledge Across Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennington, D. D.; Vincent, S.

2017-12-01

The NSF-funded project "Employing Model-Based Reasoning in Socio-Environmental Synthesis (EMBeRS)" has developed a generic model for exchanging knowledge across disciplines that is based on findings from the cognitive, learning, social, and organizational sciences addressing teamwork in complex problem solving situations. Two ten-day summer workshops for PhD students from large, NSF-funded interdisciplinary projects working on a variety of water issues were conducted in 2016 and 2017, testing the model by collecting a variety of data, including surveys, interviews, audio/video recordings, material artifacts and documents, and photographs. This presentation will introduce the EMBeRS model, the design of workshop activities based on the model, and results from surveys and interviews with the participating students. Findings suggest that this approach is very effective for developing a shared, integrated research vision across disciplines, compared with activities typically provided by most large research projects, and that students believe the skills developed in the EMBeRS workshops are unique and highly desireable.

Sharing Research Models: Using Software Engineering Practices for Facilitation

PubMed Central

Bryant, Stephanie P.; Solano, Eric; Cantor, Susanna; Cooley, Philip C.; Wagener, Diane K.

2011-01-01

Increasingly, researchers are turning to computational models to understand the interplay of important variables on systems’ behaviors. Although researchers may develop models that meet the needs of their investigation, application limitations—such as nonintuitive user interface features and data input specifications—may limit the sharing of these tools with other research groups. By removing these barriers, other research groups that perform related work can leverage these work products to expedite their own investigations. The use of software engineering practices can enable managed application production and shared research artifacts among multiple research groups by promoting consistent models, reducing redundant effort, encouraging rigorous peer review, and facilitating research collaborations that are supported by a common toolset. This report discusses three established software engineering practices— the iterative software development process, object-oriented methodology, and Unified Modeling Language—and the applicability of these practices to computational model development. Our efforts to modify the MIDAS TranStat application to make it more user-friendly are presented as an example of how computational models that are based on research and developed using software engineering practices can benefit a broader audience of researchers. PMID:21687780

Future development, innovation and promotion of European unique food: an interdisciplinary research framework perspective.

PubMed

Byrne, Derek V; Waehrens, Sandra S; O'Sullivan, Maurice G

2013-11-01

Unique food products constitute a very important element of European food business, culture, identity and heritage. Understanding the uniqueness of food in Europe from a research-based interdisciplinary perspective will be a critical factor in promoting the competitiveness of artisanal food industries going forward both locally and internationally. Success will support the competitiveness of the European food industry, in particular, small and medium enterprises, by enabling substantial product differentiation potential for producers and providing ample variety in food choice for the consumer. In addition, it will contribute to promotion of sustainable agriculture and development of rural areas, protecting them from depopulation. In order to meet the demands of a developing fundamental shift in European Union agricultural focus to greener, sustainable farming practices and wider rural development and to ensure success for local small-scale producers, this paper discusses the future direction of research in the field of unique European foods. The paper presents a perspective which promotes optimisation and innovation in unique food products in Europe through the integration of advanced knowledge and technologies. A framework is presented covering location, identity, perception and well-being as research areas needing synergy to bridge the research knowledge deficit in determination and specification of food identity in the European Union. The ultimate aim being promotion of sustainable agriculture and rural development, particularly in territories across the European Union where unique food is strategically and scientifically under-defined. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Negotiating geophysical hazards in Nepal: An interdisciplinary approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oven, Katie; Petley, Dave; Rosser, Nick; Dunn, Chris; Rigg, Jonathan

2010-05-01

It is widely accepted that the impact of natural hazards reflects not only the nature of geophysical processes but also the social conditions that prevail. The need for collaborative research to address these complex interactions between the natural and human systems is well recognised, however moving from theory to practice presents a number of significant challenges. How researchers frame problems; develop their research questions; select the methodologies to explore these questions; and privilege certain knowledges over others, can be seen to vary between physical and social science. Drawing on a case study examining the vulnerability of rural communities to landslides in the Upper Bhote Koshi Valley, Central Nepal, this paper explores how these barriers can be overcome and the benefits of undertaking interdisciplinary research within the natural hazards field. This research investigates the different framings of landslide risk and vulnerability from different stakeholder and disciplinary perspectives. Specifically, we ask: 1. Who is vulnerable to landslide hazard? 2. Why do people occupy landslide prone areas? 3. How do ‘at risk' rural communities perceive and respond to landslide hazard and risk? The findings, based on a series of participatory methodologies, challenge a number of assumptions made regarding landslide vulnerability in mountain communities. Within the Upper Bhote Koshi Valley clear transitions in settlement patterns, rural livelihoods and thus the occupation of landslide prone areas have been seen over time. For the majority of households, their decision to occupy these areas is driven by the economic and social benefits associated with the Arniko Highway which runs through the valley, linking Nepal with Tibet. Landslide vulnerability therefore emerges not just from societal marginalisation but also from situations of relative prosperity. The findings suggest that occupants of landslide prone areas have a good understanding of landslide hazard

DriveWise: An Interdisciplinary Hospital-Based Driving Assessment Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Margaret G.; Kapust, Lissa R.; Hollis, Ann M.

2008-01-01

Health care professionals working with the elderly have opportunities through research and clinical practice to shape public policy affecting the older driver. This article describes DriveWise, an interdisciplinary hospital-based driving assessment program developed in response to clinical concerns about the driving safety of individuals with…

Paper to Plastics: An Interdisciplinary Summer Outreach Project in Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tamburini, Fiona; Kelly, Thomas; Weerapana, Eranthie; Byers, Jeffery A.

2014-01-01

Paper to Plastics (P2P) is an interdisciplinary program that combines chemistry and biology in a research setting. The goal of this project is 2-fold: to engage students in scientific research and to educate them about sustainability and biodegradable materials. The scientific aim of the project is to recycle unwanted office paper to the useful…

Acquisition of an Advanced Thermal Analysis andImaging System for Integration with Interdisciplinary Researchand Education in Low Density Organic Inorganic Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-02

Report: Acquisition of an Advanced Thermal Analysis and Imaging System for Integration with Interdisciplinary Research and Education in Low Density...for Integration with Interdisciplinary Research and Education in Low Density Organic-Inorganic Materials Report Term: 0-Other Email: dmisra2

Interdisciplinary Co-operation (Part II of "Language Learning: Individual Needs, Interdisciplinary Co-operation, Bi- and Multilingualism").

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1978

The following papers on interdisciplinary cooperation in second language instruction are included: (1) "Language Teaching: Possibilities for Interdisciplinary Co-operation," by James E. Alatis; (2) "L'insegnamento della letteratura italiana (The Teaching of Italian Literature)," by Ezio Raimondi; (3) "Objective Evaluation and Transparency," by…