Questions for Students

Gunilla Oberg, Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies: A Primer (Wiley-Blackwell 2011) suggests several questions that interdisciplinary graduate students could ask themselves. These questions guide their choices regarding methodology, and encourage the correct pursuit of the chosen methodology. [These are useful questions for their supervisors to consider as well]:

· How reflective are you about interdisciplinary practice? [we would encourage reflexivity]

· Is your purpose to solve a problem, critique disciplines, contribute to an emerging field, or reflect on academia/society interactions? [The Lyall et al 2011 book stresses that many students are borrowing methods from one discipline to enhance research in another.]

· How do the disciplines you draw upon inform your understanding?

· What would be lost if one were omitted?

· Do you need collaborators and if so how do they fit into the project?

· Have you clearly demarcated your research problem?

· Have you used (enough) appropriate methods and data?

· Have you placed disciplinary material in context?

· Have you analyzed material appropriately? [We would point students to the evaluative techniques identified below, and the interdisciplinary research process more generally.]

· Are the results communicated clearly and appropriately? [We would emphasize communicating appropriately to target audiences.]

Oberg discusses the reasons for asking these questions, and provides examples of student work throughout.

Catherine Lyall, Ann Bruce, Joyce Tait, and Laura Meagher, Interdisciplinary Research Journeys (Bloomsbury Academic 2011). Available at: http://www.bloomsburyacademic.com/view/Interdisciplinary-Research-Journeys/book-ba-9781849661782.xml also provide a list of questions.