The Language of Multi Disc Research

8/13/2019 The Language of Multi Disc Research

1/20

Research Without Borders!Monday July 11 th

Dr Sharron Whitecross

Team Leader Bid Coordination, [email protected]

Ext 82043

Centre for Transport and Society
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


2/20

SUPERGEN marine challenge:accelerating the deployment of

marine energy (wave and tidal) Proposals are invited for collaborative research

proposals for fundamental research that willovercome barriers to Marine energy deployment.The remit of this call will be those aspects ofmarine energy generation technologies, theenvironmental impacts of the technologies andthe socioeconomic aspects of marine energy(including policy) that are holding back thedeployment of marine energy.


3/20

Autonomous and Intelligent Systems

The Engineering and Physical SciencesResearch Council (EPSRC) and a number ofindustrial partners have formed a strategicpartnership to fund novel research inautonomous and intelligent systems. It isexpected that many academic disciplines will

have research ideas to contribute to this call.


4/20

ESRC-DFID Joint Scheme for Researchon International Development

ESRC and DFID have identified three thematicareas for this call where work will be ofparticular interest. These areas are:

Resource Scarcity, Growth and PovertyReduction;

Information and Communication Technologyand Development;

Measuring Development.


5/20

Joint Call for Research Applications active and healthy ageing across the

life course Applications are invited from multidisciplinary researchgroups representing participating funding countries in areasrelating to the three objectives of the call:

Generate new knowledge on biological, clinical,behavioural, social and environmental factors

Explore comparatively different models, methods,approaches and good practices in societal responses toincreased longevity

Engage in effective knowledge exchange activities that willassist European and other countries to achieve the goal ofincreasing healthy life expectancy by 2 years by 2020.


6/20

RCUK Sandpit We select 20-30 people to take part in each

sandpit through a call for participants. They comefrom a range of disciplines and backgrounds,have the right mix of personal attributes, such aswillingness to take risks, creativity, andcommunication skills.

Outcomes of sandpits range from a single largeresearch project to several smaller projects,

feasibility studies, networking activities, overseasvisits and so on.


7/20

Terminology!

Multi-disciplinarity is a non-integrative mixtureof disciplines in that each discipline retains itsmethodologies and assumptions without changeor development from other disciplines within themultidisciplinary relationship.

Within a multi-disciplinary relationship thiscooperation "may be mutual and cumulative but

not interactive" (Augsburg 2005: 56)


8/20

Terminology!

Trans-disciplinarity connotes a research strategythat crosses many disciplinary boundaries tocreate a holistic approach. It applies to researchefforts focused on problems that cross the

boundaries of two or more disciplines, such asresearch on effective information systems forbiomedical research (see bioinformatics ), and canrefer to concepts or methods that were originally

developed by one discipline, but are now used byseveral others, such as ethnography.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systemshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioinformaticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioinformaticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems


9/20

Terminology! Inter-disciplinarity involves the combining of two

or more academic fields into one single discipline. Inter-disciplinarity involves researchers, students,

and teachers in the goals of connecting andintegrating several academic schools of thought,professions, or technologies - along with theirspecific perspectives - in the pursuit of a commontask.


10/20

Terminology! Cross-disciplinarity describes any method,project and research activity that exa mines a

subject outside the scope of its own discipline without cooperation or integration from other

relevant disciplines. In cross-disciplinarity, topicsare studied using foreign methodologies ofunrelated disciplines.

Within a cross-disciplinary relationshipdisciplinary boundaries are crossed but notechniques or ideals are exchanged.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disciplinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disciplinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discipline


11/20

Different Approaches to theProblem

Quantitative and qualitative approaches areunderpinned by different sets of assumptionsabout what we can know and how we canknow it

Incompatible?


12/20

Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

1. The use of words versus the use of numbers2. The research context of natural versus artificial settings

3. The focus on meanings versus the focus on behaviour

4. The adoption or rejection of natural science as a model

5. An inductive versus a deductive approach

6. The identification of cultural patterns versus the seeking ofscientific laws

7. Idealism versus realism (Hammersley, 1992)


13/20

Pragmatic Approach Adhering solely to quantitative or qualitative

assumptions imposes rigid constraints on research

Human reasoning is flexible and complex

Real world research requires a flexible approach that

takes practicalities into account


14/20

Transport: Real world research It takes place in real world settings It answers specific questions identified by a

range of people It is often concerned with taking action or

solving complex, multi-factorial problems Orientated to client needs rather than academic

peers


15/20

Looking to both measure and understandmeaning

Qualitative elements Ask what and how in order to explore, gain insights, and

understand underlying issues

Quantitative elements Ask how many and how strong in order to measure, predict,

and correlate

Shared qualitative and quantitative aims Seek to identify, to look at relationships and at links


16/20

To summarise The differences between qualitative and quantitative

ways of doing research may not be as distinct in practiceas they are in theory

Real world research requires flexibility and answers tospecific questions

From a pragmatic perspective, the research questionshould drive the choice of research methods

Useful and high quality research can be conducted fromwithin a variety of approaches


17/20

Bronstein (2003) Social Work. Vol. 48, 3.Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Interdisciplinary collaboration is aneffective interpersonal process that facilitatesthe achievement of goals that cannot bereached when individual professionals act ontheir own

Bruner (1991). Ten Questions and Answers to Help policy

Makers improve childrens services

. Washington, DC:Education and Human Services Consortium


18/20

Bronstein (2003) Social Work. Vol. 48, 3. Interdependence: Occurrence of and reliance on interactions

among disciplines, each dependent on others to accomplish goals/tasks Newly created Activities: Collaborative acts that can achieve

more than could be achieved by acting independently Flexibility: Deliberate occurrence of role blurring, productive

compromise an creative responding Collective Ownership of Goals: Shared responsibility in

process of reaching goals, joint design, definition, development andachievement

Reflection on Process: Attention to process of workingtogether, incorporating feedback to strengthen collaborative relationship


19/20

Seaburn et al (1996)

A culture of collaboration does not just happen.It must be formed and fashioned by mayhands

Models of collaboration . New York: Basic Books.p23


20/20

6 Cs of Collaboration

Co-production of project vision and aims Collective ownership of shared goals

Co-creation project design Clear roles and responsibilities Communication Co-register project products

Documents

The Language of Multi Disc Research