Transdisciplinarity

Transdisciplinarity is an applied mode of thought in which ways of working, knowledge, and theory from different scientific disciplines and from non-science sectors of society are blended in service of a common goal. As such, it transcends disciplines, under optimal circumstances generating new and otherwise-unattainable insights. Transdisciplinary research ideally involves equitable co-ownership among science and non-science stakeholders, with collaborative problem definition, goal setting, management, dissemination of findings, and, ultimately, action—in practice, there is usually some heterogeneity in these processes. Transdisciplinarity is useful for addressing complex problems, and lends itself to effective implementation of policies and interventions because decision makers and end users are actively involved. Transdisciplinary research can be considerably more difficult and resource-intensive than traditional research, because communication and expectations need to be constantly managed while balancing disparate ways of working, jargon, world-views, goals, background knowledge, and incentives. Nevertheless, scientists, funders, and decision-makers increasingly see it as critical to tackling complex societal challenges.

Selected Readings

Transdisciplinarity can be a difficult concept to pin down, and has been approached at various levels of philosophical complexity and pragmatism. Jay Bernstein, writing in the Journal of Research Practice, offers a useful history of the concept. A 2015 special issue of Futures (“Advances in transdisciplinarity 2004-2014”) presents an interesting spread of contributions on transdisciplinarity, as introduced by Roderick Lawrence. In 2020, I worked with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development‘s (OECD) Directory for Science, Technology, and Innovation to coordinate inputs from an international expert group and led the drafting of the resulting policy report: Addressing Societal Challenges Using Transdisciplinary Research. The report reviews knowledge on and challenges pertaining to transdisciplinary research and presents a set of case studies, along with recommendations for governments, research funders, universities and public research institutions, the academic community and science associations, and international organizations.

Selected Readings