Abstract
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Article Information:
The Challenge of Classifying ‘Interdisciplinary Research’: An Exploration
Theresa D. Garvin
Corresponding Author: Theresa D. Garvin
Submitted: June 08, 2012
Accepted: June 29, 2012
Published: July 30, 2012 |
Abstract:
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Equity and social justice, health and poverty, sustainable development, environmental management,
global change - these represent some of the most pressing concerns of our times. Some of the key characteristics of
these issues are that they are complex and multi-causal, requiring the integration of several different approaches,
also referred to as ‘interdisciplinary’ work. However interdisciplinary research is increasingly difficult to identify in
the digital era of online databases. The aim of the research reported here was to identify, compare and contrast
interdisciplinary work across academic fields and disciplines by using sets of peer-reviewed academic publications
that self-identified as ‘interdisciplinary’ in readily-available bibliographic databases. The research found that, as
expected, the number of papers self-identifying as ‘interdisciplinary’ has grown over time and that there are
differences by research field (social sciences, science, medicine, health). Within the social sciences, arts and
humanities some disciplines (sociology, social work) have identified themselves as interdisciplinary over time at a
greater rate than others (Film and Media, Drama). The findings suggest that some disciplines in social sciences, arts
and humanities may have been better positioned to adopt and integrate the language of interdisciplinarily before
others.
Key words: Arts, science, health, Interdisciplinarily, literature evaluation, humanities, multidisciplinary
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Cite this Reference:
Theresa D. Garvin, . The Challenge of Classifying ‘Interdisciplinary Research’: An Exploration. Current Research Journal of Social Sciences, (4): 323-331.
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ISSN (Online): 2041-3246
ISSN (Print): 2041-3238 |
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