A Roadmap to Transdisciplinary Research

In this article, we discuss why transdisciplinary research is more relevant than ever, and why industry and academia should be working together. What are its interests and challenges, and what is the roadmap to follow for your next transdisciplinary research project?

Have you ever heard of transdisciplinary research? Maybe you have heard of multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary and thought that they were all the same. Although they sound similar, there are some key differences. So, what is transdisciplinary research (if not a tongue-twister for non-native speakers)? How does it differ from multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, and why should you care about it?

What is Transdisciplinary Research?

Transdisciplinary research is when different stakeholders get together to find solutions to real-life complex problems on top of sole research purposes. It is a relatively “new” concept to academia which emerged about 20 years ago in the journal Futures and has been gaining traction because of the recent developments in technology and society, as complex problems catch the world’s attention and require the knowledge of actors with expertise in different domains. Given the real-life setting and the complex nature of the issues at stake, partners typically include academics alongside non-academics (e.g., industry, government, NGOs and policy makers, etc.).

How is Transdisciplinary Different From the ‘Other Ones’?

Let’s first start with the definitions of the “other ones”. Multidisciplinary research explains the idea of looking at a common topic, for example poverty, from different disciplines (i.e., points of view) and how some theories or methodologies for each of these disciplines can work together on this topic. This means that the work on the topic occurs in an independent way and collaboration is minimal. Conversely, interdisciplinary research looks for a shared method or the creation of a new method to approach a subject. A consequence of interdisciplinary research is the creation of new discipline branches that are a combination of two or more disciplines, such as econometrics (economics, mathematics, statistics) or environmental psychology (psychology, sociology, anthropology). This type of research is quite typical when researchers from different disciplines decide to work together.

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In the picture above, we can clearly see how transdisciplinarity goes beyond disciplinary thinking. When doing transdisciplinary research, questions such as how the choice of A could affect B, or how the solution to a problem might not be the right one if seen from a different perspective need to be considered. It’s important to see how these more disciplinary thinking concepts are specifically distinct from transdisciplinary research.

Multidisciplinary vs. Transdisciplinary: In multidisciplinary research, each discipline works in parallel, yet not together, on a common topic. Therefore, the collaboration is based on advancing research on different disciplines that do not necessarily interact together. On the other hand, the goal of transdisciplinary research is stakeholder engagement where all the team – coming from different backgrounds – work together on solving a problem.

Interdisciplinary vs. Transdisciplinary: Thinking that two are the same thing is quite common, as interdisciplinary research also introduces a collaboration between two stakeholders who focus on a common topic and work together to better understand it. The main difference is that transdisciplinary research also implies involving actors from “the field”, e.g., industry partners, who are also committed to finding a practical solution to a real problem, beyond aiming solely for a theoretical understanding.

A Roadmap to Transdisciplinary Research

Now that all the terminology has been clarified, here are some suggestions based on literature and/or own experience on how to conduct transdisciplinary research.

1. Define the problem – The main goal is to look for a solution in a real-life context, therefore, the problem should be something affecting society that needs the help from different stakeholders focusing on various disciplines and industries. At this stage, it is critical that all stakeholders discuss and present their perspective of the problem: what does it look like from discipline A, what does it look like from discipline B, what does it look like for the people who face it day to day in their work or in society? Defining the problem means building a common understanding of it, that encompasses all the relevant perspectives.
2. Find the right partners – Each problem requires the contributions of the appropriate collaborators. A diverse, dynamic, and relevant group is key to finding adequate solutions. Most importantly, the team should be cohesive and able to work jointly.
3. Work together, create a research plan – The main objective of transdisciplinary research is the opportunity to work together in a team where each member might come from a completely different background. The different perspectives and background knowledge are the most valuable assets of transdisciplinary research. The research plan should showcase that diversity.
4. Work together, conduct research – All participants should be involved in each step of the process. Coordination is key to keeping everyone’s work aligned. A weekly or bi-weekly meeting will ensure that all the team is working on the same goal, and doubts are solved on the spot to avoid future conflicts. In addition, collaborators should be open to learning new ways of working and adapting to different styles since rigid structures are not part of transdisciplinary research. Taking advantage of each other’s expertise is crucial.
5. Communicate results – At this stage, the challenge is to communicate results to a practitioner audience as well as to an academic one. Moreover, given the variety of academic disciplines that are involved, it can be tricky to find a “common language” that talks to different scientific communities.
6. Apply results – The research results should be applicable to a real-life context. Results could be part of a process needed to optimize the product or service offered by a company or test different policies in a specific industry and determine how they could be implemented in the future.

   

Challenges and Benefits of Conducting Transdisciplinary Research

When doing transdisciplinary research, the “I” is left aside and instead the “WE” comes to the conversation. This brings multiple benefits, as well as also challenges. Based on our experience, here are some key points to consider when doing transdisciplinary research.

• Build a common agreement on the problem – Embracing complexity and integrating everyone’s perspective of the situation
• Understand each other’s interests in solving the problem – Addressing everyone’s challenges to ensure global motivation
• Build a common language – Coming from different backgrounds and industries, vocabulary and expertise will be different thus requiring more efforts to be aligned
• Build a solution that integrates all the different expertise – Everyone has an added value to the research project
• Translate results to a broader audience – It is each partner’s mission to communicate the results back to their fields and industries
• Apply the results progressively – Trial and error with the industry can bring you a constant reality check

Transdisciplinarity – Growing Through Collaboration

The popularity of transdisciplinary research has increased given the complexity real-world problems that need to be addressed by the research community (e.g., ethical use of new technologies, climate change, etc.). These topics need to be tackled from the roots, and working together with society and academics to come up with applicable solutions can be the right approach to face our society’s grand challenges.

Sure, transdisciplinary research is challenging because you get to step out of your comfort zone. The entry barriers are pretty high, as you have to build a common understanding and align interests with partners who have different backgrounds and expectations. But it is also tremendously enriching and rewarding. Doing transdisciplinary research gives you the opportunity to see problems from different perspectives and learn from new disciplines, while adopting an applicable approach to research. Seeing actionable outputs as well as scientific contributions emerge from transdisciplinary collaboration makes every step of the journey even more worth it.

Julneth Rogenhofer Research Assistant at EHL.

This article originally appeared on EHL Insights.