UDA IKASTAROAK / CURSOS DE VERANO / SUMMER COURSES UPV / EHU

WHYANDHOWTOPROMOTEINTERDISCIPLINARITYINRESEARCH

ATTHEUNIVERSITY?fromepistemological topractical aspects

PierreDosSantosBordeauxUniversity

UDA IKASTAROAK CURSOSDEVERANOSUMMER COURSESUPV / EHU

UDA IKASTAROAK / CURSOS DE VERANO / SUMMER COURSES UPV / EHU

VIRTUESANDVICESOFMONODISCIPLINARITY AND

MULTIDISCIPLINARITYsomehistorical,practicalandepistemologicalconsiderations

UDA IKASTAROAK CURSOSDEVERANOSUMMER COURSESUPV / EHU

THEVIRTUESOFDISCIPLINARYSTRUCTURINGOFSCIENCES"Natural"evolutionwiththedevelopmentofsciences, (sincethe19thcentury)

Accompaniedthebuildingofmodernuniversities

DivisionofWorkandSpecialization

• Defined"consistent"areasofexpertise

• Constructedrelevantresearchobjects

• Gaveconceptualframeworksofreference

• Establishedreasoningmodes

• Setcategories

• Divisionoftheworkvs "speciation »• Constructionoftheresearchobjectvs"reification"oftheresearchobject

THEVICESOFDISCIPLINARYSTRUCTURINGOFSCIENCES

• Masksthecontinuumofresearchobjectsdisciplinesdealwith

Breakinsolidarity

"Institutionalization"ofdisciplines

THEVICESOFDISCIPLINARYSTRUCTURINGOFSCIENCES

Eachdisciplineislikeajar.Onceyouareinoneofthesejars,youneedgeniustogetoutorinnovate:youthinkyouliveinnaturalboundaries.

TofinishwiththedisciplinaryEgos?

Veyne, P. (1983). Les Grecs ont-ils cru à leurs mythes ?

Adapted from pers.communication with F.Darbellay

(Multi)disciplinaryconfigurationsOrderorchaosofdisciplines

Psychology

PoliticalSciences

Economy

Law

Anthropology(ies)

Sciencesofeducation

LifeSciences

Sociology

Sciencesofcommunication

CognitiveSciences

MedicineSciencesofenvironment

NaturalSciences

"Whatachimaerathenisman,whatanovelty,whatamonster,whatchaos,whatasubject ofcontradiction,whataprodigy!Judgeofallthings,yetanimbecileearthworm;depository oftruth,yetasewerofuncertainty anderror;prideandrefuseoftheuniverse.Whoshall resolvethistangle?”―BlaisePascal,Pensées

Operatingconceptsandconceptnetwork

DISCIPLINARYCompartmentation,Shared background

DisciplinarySelfreliance

DEGREEOFCOLLABORATIONBETWEENDISCIPLINESLOW HIGH

MULTIDISCIPLINARYShared topic,

Communication,Juxtapositionof

perspectives, autonomy

JuxtaposeSequenceCoordinate

TRANSDISCIPLINARYProblem-solving,Implementation,

Relationship betweenscience &society

TranscendTransgressTransform

INTERDISCIPLINARYIntegration of

disciplinary insights,cooperation,

interdependence

IntegrateInteractConnectSynthetize

Mix

Themulti/interdisciplinaritylikelytogoagainst

FROMMONODISCIPLINARITY TOPLURIDISCIPLINARITY ANDINTERDISCIPLINARITY :Aturbulentevolution

THEVICESOFINTERDISCIPLINARITY INSCIENCESThe"violent"polemicsofthe1970s(especiallyinthesocialsciences)

• “scientificity”• Rigor• relevanceofconceptualframeworks• relevanceofthestatementofpostulatesandhypotheses• relevanceofthestatementofmethodsandtoolsofanalysis• ...

- How can human societies generate enough energy to meet human needs without causing irreparabledamage to the planet?

- How do individual DNA sequences interact with environmental factors to influence the incidence of adisease?

- How does the transmission of electrical signals between neurons generate a set of subtle and complexbehaviours?

- What will be the impacts of changes in the Earth's atmosphere on the climate, glaciers and oceans?- What combination of biological, environmental and social factors is causing the increase in obesity

rates seen in many parts of the world?- How can innovations in agriculture feed a growing humanpopulation?- How can human societies act to provide a better framework for integration, fight against inequalities

and promoteeconomic development?- How to understand the diversity of cultures, their historical depth, their languages, their social and

institutional structures to better understand the dynamics that cross them?- How to take into account individual behaviour towards risks and social attitudes towards progress,

research and science- How to promote and support the adaptation of the entire population to the transformations of

society? ...

THENEEDFORINTERDISCIPLINARYAPPROACHESINSCIENCES

Addresscomplexissues/problems/challenges

• Thevirtuesof"embodied"interdisciplinarity,ofthe« NAIVELOOK »,oftheabsenceofINHIBITION tocrossdisciplinaryboundaries• TheexampleofCharlesDARWIN• TheexampleofAlfredWEGENER

• ThevirtuesofCOVERINGS,CONTACTS,TRANSFERS• Theexampleofthe« biologicalrevolution »inthefifties

• ThevirtuesofNOTIONSmigration• TheexampleofShannon’sinformationtheory

• ThevirtuesofCOGNITIVESHEMESmigration• Theexampleofthestudyofcosmos,self-governingmachines,artificial intelligence

• ThevirtuesofOBJECTSmigration• Theexampleofprehistoryandstudyofhominization

• ThevirtuesofCONCEPTSmigration• Theexampleoftheconceptofecosystem

THEVIRTUESOFINTERDISCIPLINARYAPPROACHESINSCIENCES

MONO&MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARITY INRESEARCH:Twocomplementaryapproaches

Inter- &Transdisciplinary openings(circulationofideas)

Divergent/Exploratorythinking

Compartmentation ofknowledgeinspecializeddisciplines

Integrative/ConvergentthinkingTHEKEYTOLIFEISBALANCE

INTERDISCIPLINARITY: BETWEENINJUNCTIONandOBSTACLES

• Funding mechanisms most often aligned with disciplinary research

• A context of budget reduction favouring activities deemed "essential »

• significant fluctuations in support for interdisciplinary research

• Interdisciplinaryresearch"started"withsupportforpilotprojects• Problemoflongterm

• The"standard"modalitiesofpeerreviewprocessesmakeitdifficulttoevaluateprojectsthatgobeyondthedisciplinaryboundariesofexpertsorprograms

• Fundingofresearchfavouringtheindividualattheexpenseofthegroup

• Difficultiesinfunding"atrisk"research

UDA IKASTAROAK / CURSOS DE VERANO / SUMMER COURSES UPV / EHU

SOMEPREREQUISITETOCONSIDERINTHEIMPLEMENTATIONOFINTERDISCIPLINARITYUDA

IKASTAROAK CURSOSDEVERANOSUMMER COURSESUPV / EHU

Originality↔TraditionSelflessness↔Passion

Cooperation↔CompetitionClosing↔OpeningSharing↔Secret

Distinctiveness↔SenseofbelongingCommitment↔IndependenceAutonomy↔ResponsibilityDemocracy↔Autocracy

METHOD-METHOD-METHOD&SKILLS-SKILLS-SKILLSTORAISEINOVERCOMINGTENSIONSANDCONTRADICTIONS

INNOVATEINANDTHROUGHSCIENCES

THINK

DIVERSITYofpratices

DYNAMICSofsciences

LINK&INTERACTthroughinterdisciplinarity

HYBRIDATION IMMERSION

STIMULATEindividual&collectiveCREATIVITY

TRAINToDESIGN-inspiredmethods/thinking

INNOVATEinthewayofdoing

DECOMPARTMENTALIZETheworldofresearchTIME SPACE

Inter-personalfactors• Cohesionoftheteam• Diversityofthe team• Flexibility oftheteam• Regular andeffectivecommunication• Mutual respect&trust

Organizational factors• Strongincentives forcollaboration• Non-hierarchical structure• Diversityofrepresented perspectives• Climate forinformationsharing• Climate forrecognition sharing

Technologicalfactors• Strengthofinternal&external

networklinks• EffectiveIT&digital support• Datamanagement

Intra-personal factors• Collaborative workskills• Preparation forconflictmanagement• Participatory leadership style

Factors linkedtoenvironment• Proximity• Comfortableworkspaces• Collaborative workspaces• Privateworkspaces

Social&« political»factors• Policyforexchanges&collaboration

facilitation• Policy&protocols supporting

interdisciplinary collaboration

Factorsinfluencingeffectivenessofaninterdisciplinary

team

Writeageneral

agreement Assigntasks

Manageleadership

Managerisk

Managetime

Accept thechallengeofopenness

Supporteach other

Evaluatelearning

Manageexpression&emotions

Empathy &recognitionof

interdependence

Data

Concepts

Tools

Contributions

Procedures

Sharetheconceptual

modelspecifictoeachdiscipline

Agree onobjectives

Optimiseindividual&collectivework

Manageconflicts

Agreeoncompetences

Establish acommonmodel

Act onbehaviours

Installaninterdisciplinaryteamclimate

Organize theinterdisciplinary

team

Accompanimentforfocusmeeting

Planningoftheproject

Workshopswithinvestigators

Accompaniment totheconceptionof

meetings

Accompaniment tothefacilitationof

meetings ITsupport

Accompanimentforimprovement

meetings

InterdisciplinaryteamProductofresearch

Support tothedevelopmentoftheproject

Interdisciplinaryresearchproject

Adzpted fromM.APalmeretal.Current OpinioninEnvironmental Sustainability2016,19:111–122