Acknowledgements

Preface

Chapter guides

Part 1 The Handbook – ‘The What’

1 Introduction

2 What is science? A brief philosophy of science

2.1 What is science?

2.2 Moving through the Science Cycle

3 The disciplines

3.1 Academic disciplines: A brief history

3.2 Our definition of a discipline

3.3 Classification of academic disciplines

4 Interdisciplinarity

5 Complexity: the main driving force behind interdisciplinarity

5.1 Complex (adaptive) systems

5.2 Complexity broken down into drivers of interdisciplinarity

6 Interdisciplinary integration

6.1 Communication as a first step to integration

6.2 Integration techniques

Part 2 The Manual – ‘The How’

7 The interdisciplinary research process

7.1 The IIS model of interdisciplinary research

7.2 Planning your research project

8 The problem

Step 1 Identify problem or topic

Step 2 Formulate preliminary research question

9 Theoretical framework and research question

Step 3 Develop theoretical framework

Step 4 Finalize research question

Step 5 Formulate sub-questions

10 How to collect and analyze your data

Step 6 Develop research methods and design

Step 7 Data collection and analysis

11 Discussion and conclusion(s)

Step 8 Interpret results, discuss research & draw conclusion(s)

Part 3 Interdisciplinary research in practice

12 Interdisciplinary research example: fogponics

Step 1 Identify problem or topic

Step 2 Formulate preliminary research question

Step 3 Develop theoretical framework

Step 4 Finalize research question

Step 5 Formulate sub-questions

Step 6 Develop research methods and design

Step 7 Data collection and analysis

Step 8 Interpret results, discuss research & draw conclusion(s)

13 Interdisciplinary careers

Further reading

References

References Research projects undertaken by IIS students