Can you Train an Interdisciplinary Researcher

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• Can you Train an Interdisciplinary Researcher?
• Dr Catherine Lyall
• Institute for the Study of Science, Technology
  and Innovation (ISSTI)

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ISSTI A network of socio-economic research on
technology

• Research Centre for Social Sciences
• ESRC Innogen Centre
• Science Studies Unit
• Japanese European Technology Studies
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation group Management
  School and Economics
• A wide range of individual scholars

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Main areas of research

• Information and Communication Technologies
• Genomics/Life Science Technologies
• Environmental Innovation and Energy technologies
• New emerging science technology
  (nanotechnologies, nano-bio)

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Definitions of ID research
Discipline A
Discipline A
Discipline B
Discipline B
Discipline C
Discipline C
Interdisciplinary research
Multidisciplinary research
Transdisciplinary research
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Types of ID research

• Academically-oriented ID research
• Often longer-term collaborations
• Discipline focused
• Helps disciplines to evolve
• Problem-focused ID research
• Shorter term collaborations
• Directed to specific real world problems
• Could be ID or transdisciplinary

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Contribution to practical problem solving
Multi-disciplinaryResearch
Problem focused
Inter-disciplinaryResearch
 


Academic orientation
Contribution to development of disciplines
Low
High
Level of integration
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Factors that discourage ID research

• Poor career structures for academic
  interdisciplinary researchers
• Low esteem of interdisciplinary research by
  mono-disciplinary colleagues
• Lack of opportunities to publish research results
  in high ranking refereed journals
• Discrimination by referees against
  interdisciplinary research proposals and
  publications

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Negotiating roles

• How to position/negotiate/justify social science
  role within ID collaborations
• Social science often tacked on as an afterthought
  to ensure societal acceptance of e.g. new
  technology (Research Fortnight article)

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Skills needs for graduate students

• Confidence
• Open-mindedness vs. focus
• Clarity about thesis expectations
• Developing a strategic portfolio of publications
• Accepting that it may take longer to do an
  interdisciplinary PhD

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Skills needs for individual researchers

• Understanding the languages, research methods and
  cultures of different disciplines
• High tolerance of ambiguity personality more
  important than discipline base
• Willingness to learn from other disciplines

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Skills needs for research managers

• Interdisciplinary background
• Respect for other disciplines
• Good interpersonal team building skills
• Proactive in engaging with other partners
• Not too ambitious in their own field
• Interested in a wide range of subjects

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ISSTI ID Masterclasses

• Training development activity
• two one-day workshops postdoc level and above
• residential two-day course for graduates
• develop teaching materials
• foster increased collaboration and capacity
  building
• strengthen ISSTIs own ID practice
• Goals
• better understanding of how to design ID research
  with appropriate soc. science nat. science
  inputs
• some pointers on how to conduct that research and
  thrive in ID environment
• how to write up and disseminate an integrated
  report

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Themes for Masterclasses?

• Focus research design management not methods
• The challenges of interviewing technical people
• Developing/communicating understanding of
  socio-economic dimensions of complex technical
  issues
• How to frame an integrated final report/thesis
• Appropriate dissemination for different audiences
  (social, technical, academic, practitioner)
• Building an ID career / community building
• Illustrations from our own research, discussion,
  participation, group exercises

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Contributors

• IIFP5 and other FP5 work for ESRC (with Joyce
  Tait, Ann Bruce, Robin Williams)
• ID study for ESRC (with Joyce Tait)
• Evaluation of ESRC-NERC interdisciplinary
  studentship (with Laura Meagher)

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References

• Bruce, A., Lyall, C., Tait, J. and Williams, R.
  (2004), Interdisciplinary Integration in the
  Fifth Framework Programme, Futures, 36/4, pp.
  457-470.
• Tait J. and Lyall C. (2001) Investigation into
  ESRC Funded Interdisciplinary Research. Report
  to ESRC published as SUPRA Working Paper 26.
• Lyall, C., Tait, J., Williams, R. and Wield, D.
  (2006) On a roll, without a role, Research
  Fortnight, 8 March 2006.
• www.issti.ed.ac.uk
• www.innogen.ac.uk
• c.lyall_at_ed.ac.uk