Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Design
| Module title | Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Design |
|---|---|
| Module code | SSIM903 |
| Academic year | 2021/2 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Katie Ledingham (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
Module description
Interdisciplinary research is increasing advocated as crucial to understanding many of today’s salient challenges. This module is designed as a crucial training component for students undertaking inter-disciplinary postgraduate research. In this module you will explore what is meant by interdisciplinary research, the context in which it is useful and the challenges it poses. You will explore strategies for constructing and operationalising interdisciplinary research designs. In the module you will explore interdisciplinary within and beyond the social sciences.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module will fulfil the ESRC requirement for training in core research design, collection and analysis skills by addressing the on the ground characteristics and challenges of ‘doing’ interdisciplinary research. On completion of the module you will be able to critically assess concepts such as interdisciplinarity, multidisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity. You will have acquired relevant practical skills and knowledge of how a range of methods can be integrated in an ethically sound manner to examine interdisciplinary problems, and will have developed an appreciation of the importance of pertinent interdisciplinary thinking.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Define and communicate the complexities of defining and describing interdisciplinary research.
- 2. Appreciate the inherent and necessary interdisciplinarity of studying contemporary social science issues
- 3. Demonstrate analytical and conceptual skills in your research design and written work.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Demonstrate relevant critical skills for the evaluation of evidence.
- 5. Address interdisciplinary problems from a range of social science perspectives.
- 6. Elaborate the ethical aspects of interdisciplinary research.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Elaborate the ethical aspects of interdisciplinary research.
- 8. Manage your time to complete an independent research project.
- 9. Demonstrate lateral, critical and analytical reasoning.
Syllabus plan
The module consists of three, day long and intensive workshops held at Bristol, Bath and then Exeter. The workshops are organised in a way that is interactive, and there are moments for you to reflect on your own research experience and ambitions. Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it will be taught using practical examples and it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Why disciplines and interdisciplinarity?
- Methods for interdisciplinary research
- Ethics in interdisciplinary research
- Impact and the use of evidence in policy
- The theory and practice of transdisciplinary research
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | 129 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 21 | This module will be delivered in three face-to-face one day (seven hour) sessions (Bristol x1, Bath x1, Exeter x1). Each institution will take responsibility for delivery one focused workshop at their own institutions. |
| Guided Independent Study | 64 | Reading a preparation for face-to face sessions |
| Guided Independent Study | 65 | Writing and researching for coursework |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Presentation | 20 minutes | 1-9 | Verbal |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reflective Commentary | 100 | 3,000 words | 1-9 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflective Commentary | Reflective Commentary (3,000 words) | 1-9 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
A course reader will be made available via Blackboard (or equivalent VLE) as the literature in this area is expansive. Indicative resources include:
Barry, A., Born, G. and Weszkalnys, G. (2008) Logics of interdisciplinarity. Economy and Society, 37(1): 20-49.
Brister, E. (2016). Disciplinary capture and epistemological obstacles to interdisciplinary research: Lessons from central African conservation disputes. Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. 56:82-91
Collins, H. and R. Evans (2002) The Third Wave of Science Studies: Studies of Expertise and Experience. Sage, London.
Delanty, G. (2001) Challenging knowledge. The university in the knowledge society. Society for Research into Higher Education and Oxford University Press, Buckingham.
Etzkowitz, H. and L. Leydesdorff (2000) The dynamics of innovation: from national systems and “Mode 2” to a triple helix of university-industry-government relations. Research Policy 29, 109–23.
Mäki, U. (2013). Scientific imperialism: Difficulties in definition, identification, and assessment. International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, 27, 325-339.
Nowotny, P. Scott and M. Gibbons (2001) Re-Thinking Science: Knowledge and the Public in an Age of Uncertainty. Polity Press, Cambridge.
O’Rourke, M., Crowley, S., & Gonnerman, C. (2016). On the nature of crossdisciplinary integration: A philosophical framework. Studies in the History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 56, 62-70.
Repko, A. (2008) Interdisciplinary Research: Process and theory. Sage, London.
Report of the Gulbenkian Commission on the Restructuring of the Social Sciences (1996) Open the Social Sciences. Stanford University Press, Stanford.
Taylor, P. J. (1996) Embedded statism and the social sciences: opening up to new spaces. Environment and Planning A 28, 1917–28.
Verouden, N. van der Sanden, M. and N.Aarts (2016). ‘Silence in Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration: Not Everything Said is Relevant, Not Everything Relevant is Said’. Science as Culture, 25 (2): 264-288
Weingert, P. and N. Stehr (2000) Practising Interdisciplinarity. University of Toronto Press, Toronto
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module co-requisites | Students will combine this module with relevant research training in quantitative and qualitative methods. |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 28/08/2015 |
| Last revision date | 08/05/2017 |
