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HDF 201: Exam 2
Interdisciplinary Research Process
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A decision-making process that is heuristic, iterative, and reflexive.
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Heuristic- an aid to understanding, discovery, or learning
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Decision-Making- the cognitive ability to choose after considering alternatives
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Iterative |
procedurally repetitive
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Reflexive |
Being self-conscious or self-aware of disciplinary or personal bias that may influence one's work and possible distort the process and ultimately, the end product
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Step 1: (definition)
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Define the Problem or state the research
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Step 1a.
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Select a problem or pose a question requiring insights from >1 discipline
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Step 1b.
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1b. Define the scope of the problem or question
Scope- the parameters of the problem or question
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Step 1c.
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Avoid three tendencies that run counter to the interdisciplinary process
Disciplinary Bias
Disciplinary Jargon- define terms across all three disciplines
Personal Bias |
Step 1d.
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Follow three guidelines for stating the problem or posing the question
State the problem clearly and concisely
The question should be narrow and manageable within the constraints of the specified research
The researchers should explain why the readers should care |
Step 2 (definition)
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Justify Using an Interdisciplinary Process
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Step 2: Order
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2a. The problem/question is complex
2b. Important insights or theories of the problem are offered by 2 or more disciplines
2c. No single discipline has been able to explain the problem comprehensively or solve it
2d. The problem is an unresolved societal/organizational issue |
2a. The question is complex
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Complexity may be a function of interactions among multiple variables OR refer to the behavior or systems
COMPLEXITY- means that the problem has multiple components studies by different disciplines |
Step 2b
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Important insights or theories of the problem are offered by 2 or more disciplines
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Step 2c.
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No single discipline has been able to explain the problem comprehensively or solve it
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Step 2d
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The problem is an unresolved societal/organization need or issue
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Discipline
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A particular branch of learning or body of knowledge
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Disciplinary Perspective
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a discipline's view of reality in a general sense which embraces and in turn reflects the ensemble of its defining elements that include phenomena, epistemology, assumptions, theory, and methods
Primary means of distinguishing between disciplines |
Phenomena
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Enduring aspect of human existence that are of interest to scholars and are susceptible to scholarly description and explanation
Phenomena= subject matter |
Assumption
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Principles taken for granted within a discipline, that underlie the discipline as a whole and its overall perspective on reality
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6 Basic Assumptions of Science
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Nature is orderly
We can know nature
All natural phenomena have natural causes
Nothing is self-evident
Knowledge is based on experience
Knowledge is superior to ignorance |
Epistemology
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the branch of philosophy that studies how one knows what is true and how one validates truth
Provides the foundation for how these disciplinary professionals select
What to Study
How to study it |
Method |
The process used to conduct research, analyze data or evidence, test theories, and create new knowledge--- disciplinarians work within their disciplinary perspectives to create, test, and modify, theories
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Theory
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A theory presents a systematic way of understanding events or situations
A set of inter-related concepts, definitions, and propositions
Theories must be applicable to a broad variety of situations |
Step 3 Definitions
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Identify Relevant Disciplines
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Step 3 Order
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3a. Identify phenomena relevant to your question
3b. Identify perspectives relevant to your question and preciously identified phenomena'
3c. Draw on disciplinary perspectives to conduct a cursory literature review
3d. Based on your literature review, select the MOST relevant disciplines to include in your project |
Step 3a
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Identify phenomena relevant to your question
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Step 3b
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Identify perspectives relevant to your question & previously identified phenomena
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Step 3c
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Draw on disciplinary perspectives to conduct a cursory (superficial) literature review
Only after locating literature within each discipline can you confirm that discipline can be adopted for your defined question |
Step 3d
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Select the MOST relevant disciplines to include in your project. Three Questions:
Which disciplines are MOST directly related to the problem/question
Which have generated the MOST important research on it
Which have advanced the MOST compelling theories to explain it? |
Step 4:
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Conduct the Literature Search
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7 Reasons for conducting a good and thorough literature review (1-5)
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Need to know what is already known
Scholarly papers have been filtered by the academic community through the peer review process
Scholarly books and book chapters
Good for helping you to narrow/broaden a topic, as needed.
Situate or contextualize the problem |
7 Reasons for conducting a good and thorough literature review (6-7)
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6. Help identify and proces epistemology, phenomena, methods, theories, etc.
7. Identify causes and effects of the problem as well as potential treatments/interventions |
Challenges of conducting a good & thorough literature review
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1. Tendency to want to "get it over with/do the minimum"
2. Interdisciplinary researchers have:
More ground to cover and may feel overwhelmed
To integrate disciplinary insights and theories while balancing disciplinary epistemologies, phenomena, theories & methods
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Step 4 Order
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4a. Library Databases
4b. You can also use Internet Browsing
4c. Selecting Keywords
4d. Selecting "limits"
4e. Assessing the literature found
4f. Using the scientific literature as your basis, create a conceptual map of the causes and consequences of your problem |
Step 4a
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Library Databases
Databases organized by discipline |
Step 4b
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Internet Browsing
Results will be interdisciplinary |
Step 4c.
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Selecting Keywords
Pubmed MeSH terms
Using * will will bring articles with all words |
Step 4d.
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Selecting limits
English
Reviews, Randomized controlled trials
Age groups
Year of publication |
Step 4e.
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Assessing the literature found
Does it cover your groups topic
Does it have something new to say about the topic or some aspect of it
Published recently OR a historical document
Peer-reviewed
Published by a reputable organization |
Step 4f.
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Create a conceptual map with causes and consequences of your problem
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Conceptual Map
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A visual diagram showing ht relationships among concepts. It is a graphical tool for organizing and representing knowledge. Common elements:
Title
Boxes, arrows
Flow- from left to right or top to bottom
Based on scientific or experimental knowledge |
3 Reasons Why Theories are important
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1. Helps answer why what and how? and so provides framework
2. Theory based programs/solutions are shown to have greater impact than non-theory-based solutions
3. Theories help us explain and predict phenomena |
Step 5
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Develop adequacy in each relevant discipline
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Developing Adequacy
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How much and what kind of knowledge is required from each discipline
Develop adequacy in each relevant discipline to develop breadth and depth of knowledge
During this process you will be actively "borrowing" theories, constructs, and insights from other disciplines |
Step 6
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Analyze the problem & evaluate each insights or theory
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Step 6 (description)
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Analyze means to critically think about the theories, constructs, and insights you found in step 5.
Critically thinking checklist |
Developing Disciplinary Adequacy and Evaluating Insights/Theories
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Problems you may face- same word, but different meanings in disciplines
Identify when these problems are happening, and resolve them as a group |
Adequacy
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Breadth and Depth
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Qualitative
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... |
Quantative
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... |