Interdisciplinary Research: Process and Theory

by Allen F. Repko (editor)

Interdisciplinary Process and Theory is the first book that systematically guides students in how to approach and follow through on research projects that straddle disciplines. Featuring an easy-to-follow approach that is grounded in theory, it is packed with examples of interdisciplinary research from the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. Students will gain a solid foundation on how to achieve, produce, and express integration. Key Features and Benefits · Blends practice and theory by delineating a step-by-step research process that is based in relevant scholarly literature · Illustrates each step of the research process, using examples of professional and student work oriented toward the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities · Offers an easy-to-follow checklist so students can evaluate previous research · Provides extensive information on the different disciplines to help students develop an understanding of disciplinary perspectives and their defining elements Intended Audience This core text is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in interdisciplinary research methods and will be especially helpful for courses requiring research papers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Education, Textbooks, Research

416 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 2008

Reviews

[Ben]

I am using this text in a course I am developing and it is, hands-down, THE definitive text (well, also the ONLY text) on Interdisciplinary Studies. It is a wonderful resource for any and all interested in bridging traditional, siloed educational categories, learning from each, while coming to a greater understanding of both.

[Donna Dancer]

This book is being used in a doctoral course for an overview of ILT research and I find it very useful. It is organized, objectives are explicit, outcomes are explicit and real-world explanations or scenarios are given for various approaches, terms, reasonings, which is a compliment to other readings in the class, which are academic in that research is approached from a static, procedural, unanticipated view rather than the fluidity it is.

[Mindy]

This is a review for the Hardcopy. I found this book helpful for learning the interdisciplinary research process. Unfortunately, I found the examples to be too specific to be helpful for the larger audience. The irony is that the 9th step of the 10-step process is to make the research approachable for your audience. Anyway, I got an A on my paper with a comment that I had followed the 10 steps well, so I guess they made their text approachable for me.

[Izabella Britten]

Very hard to understand at times. Very technical but also some of it was just like common knowledge said in very fancy terms. Learned a little bit more about interdisciplinary research but also not a ton.

[Jessica]

Can be daunting but worth the work.

[Elliot A]

It contains a lot of information and explanations, charts and diagrams, unfortunately, I could never find what I was really looking for in terms of descriptions and elaboration.

At the end I was doing independent research on topics that should have been covered better in the text.

ElliotScribbles

[Derek Pyle]

Useful, lots of charts and things. Some repeating information-- don't read this book just for kicks, that would be weird.