Collaboration and integration methods can be a good way to ensure that two or more disciplines are able to interact effectively. Different methods can help if you want to be explicit about what you aim to combine.
What do you want to combine and integrate?
- Theory and concepts – by using conceptual distinctions and relationships between concepts to develop new frameworks or concepts. Alternatively, by using metaphors and descriptions that work for all parties.
- Research methods and instruments – by addressing the underlying assumptions of methods and combining data from several methods. Alternatively, by using methods from other disciplines.
- Models and objects – by including specific factors or variables from other disciplines in an existing model, or by optimising a model with insights from other disciplines and incorporating sub-models into existing models.
- Data and results – by including results from multiple datasets to obtain more complex and nuanced patterns.
- An explanation – by developing more complete and comprehensive explanations of phenomena.
How do you want to combine and integrate?
Methodologically – at what point in the process does it make the most sense to bring the disciplines together?
An interdisciplinary process can extend across several phases, depending on when it is most appropriate to apply an interdisciplinary perspective.
- In phase 0, it may be useful to spend time either familiarising yourself with other disciplines or collaborating with others to explore which problems and challenges are worth working on.
- In phase 1, the focus is on exploring the problem from the various disciplinary perspectives.
- In phase 2, the task is to decide how the disciplines should interact and influence one another.
- In phase 3, the different disciplinary perspectives are combined in the desired way.
Academically – which disciplines and disciplinary aspects do you want to bring together?
Which disciplines and disciplinary aspects can interact and provide one another with a new perspective will vary.?
For many, this involves becoming familiar with knowledge about a familiar phenomenon from a different angle, or with knowledge that challenges their discipline’s understanding of the phenomenon. Some disciplines can contribute more than others to deepening mutual understanding.
Socially – how should one collaborate and integrate with others?
If the interdisciplinary process involves several parties from different disciplines, it is important to address the social aspect of the collaboration and, if relevant, include interdisciplinary methods to support the collaboration.?
Ref: Keestra, M., Uilhoorn, A., & Zandveld, J. (2025). An introduction to interdisciplinary research. Taylor & Francis