FACETS (Mar 2020)
Diverse perspectives on interdisciplinarity from Members of the College of the Royal Society of Canada
- Steven J. Cooke,
- Vivian M. Nguyen,
- Dimitry Anastakis,
- Shannon D. Scott,
- Merritt R. Turetsky,
- Alidad Amirfazli,
- Alison Hearn,
- Cynthia E. Milton,
- Laura Loewen,
- Eric E. Smith,
- D. Ryan Norris,
- Kim L. Lavoie,
- Alice Aiken,
- Daniel Ansari,
- Alissa N. Antle,
- Molly Babel,
- Jane Bailey,
- Daniel M. Bernstein,
- Rachel Birnbaum,
- Carrie Bourassa,
- Antonio Calcagno,
- Aurélie Campana,
- Bing Chen,
- Karen Collins,
- Catherine E. Connelly,
- Myriam Denov,
- Benoît Dupont,
- Eric George,
- Irene Gregory-Eaves,
- Steven High,
- Josephine M. Hill,
- Philip L. Jackson,
- Nathalie Jette,
- Mark Jurdjevic,
- Anita Kothari,
- Paul Khairy,
- Sylvie A. Lamoureux,
- Kiera Ladner,
- Christian R. Landry,
- François Légaré,
- Nadia Lehoux,
- Christian Leuprecht,
- Angela R. Lieverse,
- Artur Luczak,
- Mark L. Mallory,
- Erin Manning,
- Ali Mazalek,
- Stuart J. Murray,
- Lenore L. Newman,
- Valerie Oosterveld,
- Patrice Potvin,
- Sheryl Reimer-Kirkham,
- Jennifer Rowsell,
- Dawn Stacey,
- Susan L. Tighe,
- David J. Vocadlo,
- Anne E. Wilson,
- Andrew Woolford
Affiliations
- Steven J. Cooke
- Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
- Vivian M. Nguyen
- Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
- Dimitry Anastakis
- History Department, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, ON K9L 0G2, Canada
- Shannon D. Scott
- Faculty of Nursing, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, University of Alberta, 11405-87 Ave., Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada
- Merritt R. Turetsky
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Alidad Amirfazli
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
- Alison Hearn
- Faculty of Information and Media Studies, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
- Cynthia E. Milton
- Département d’histoire, Université de Montréal, 2900 Edouard Montpetit Blvd, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
- Laura Loewen
- Desautels Faculty of Music, University of Manitoba, 150 Dafoe Rd. W, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
- Eric E. Smith
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T4N 2N1, Canada
- D. Ryan Norris
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada Nature Conservancy of Canada, 245 Eglington Avenue East, Toronto, ON M4P 3J1, Canada
- Kim L. Lavoie
- Department of Psychology, University of Quebec at Montreal and CIUSSS-NIM Hopital du Sacre-Coeur de Montreal, CP 8888, succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Alice Aiken
- Faculty of Health and Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
- Daniel Ansari
- Department of Psychology & Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Alissa N. Antle
- School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University, 250—13450 102 Avenue, Surrey, BC V3T 0A3, Canada
- Molly Babel
- Department of Linguistics, University of British Columbia, 2613 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Jane Bailey
- Faculty of Law (Common Law), University of Ottawa, 57 Louis Pasteur St, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
- Daniel M. Bernstein
- Department of Psychology, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, 12666-72nd Ave., Surrey, BC V3W 2M8, Canada
- Rachel Birnbaum
- School of Social Work and Childhood Studies and Interdisciplinary Programs, King’s University College at Western, 266 Epworth Avenue, London, ON N6A 2M3, Canada
- Carrie Bourassa
- Indigenous Health, Department of Community Health & Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 104 Clinic Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 2Z4, Canada
- Antonio Calcagno
- Department of Philosophy, King’s University College at Western University, 266 Epworth Avenue, London, ON N6A 2M3, Canada
- Aurélie Campana
- Département de science politique, Faculté des sciences sociales, Université Laval, 1030 avenue des Sciences humaines, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Bing Chen
- Department of Civil Engineering, Memorial University, 240 Prince Philip Drive, St. John’s, NL A1A 3X5, Canada
- Karen Collins
- Department of Communication Arts, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W., Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
- Catherine E. Connelly
- DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON L8S 4M4, Canada
- Myriam Denov
- School of Social Work, McGill University, 3506 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2A7, Canada
- Benoît Dupont
- Centre international de criminologie comparée, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
- Eric George
- École des medias, The Université du Québec à Montréal, 405 Rue Sainte-Catherine Est, Montréal, QC H2L 2C4, Canada
- Irene Gregory-Eaves
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Dr. Penfield Ave, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
- Steven High
- Department of History, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd Ouest, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
- Josephine M. Hill
- Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Philip L. Jackson
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, 2325 Allée des Bibliothèques, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Nathalie Jette
- Departments of Neurology and Population Health Sciences & Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Mark Jurdjevic
- Department of History, York University-Glendon Campus, 2275 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4N 3M6, Canada
- Anita Kothari
- Faculty of Health Studies, Western University, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Paul Khairy
- Department of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute, University of Montreal, 5000 Bélanger, Montreal, QC H1T 1C8, Canada
- Sylvie A. Lamoureux
- Faculty of Arts, Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, Université d’Ottawa, 70 Laurier Est, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
- Kiera Ladner
- Political Studies, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
- Christian R. Landry
- Département de biologie & Département de biochimie, microbiologie et bioinformatique, Université Laval, 1030 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- François Légaré
- INRS, Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, 1650, boulevard Lionel-Boulet, Québec, QC J3X 1S2, Canada
- Nadia Lehoux
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pavillon Pouliot, Université Laval, 1065 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V OA6, Canada
- Christian Leuprecht
- Department of Political Science and Economics, Royal Military College of Canada, P.O. Box 17000, Station Forces, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada
- Angela R. Lieverse
- Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Saskatchewan, 55 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B1, Canada
- Artur Luczak
- Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Dr., Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
- Mark L. Mallory
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, 15 University Dr., Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
- Erin Manning
- Film Studies and Studio Art, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve W, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
- Ali Mazalek
- Synaesthetic Media Lab, Ryerson University, Bell Trinity Square N103, 483 Bay St., Toronto, ON M5G 2E1, Canada
- Stuart J. Murray
- Department of English Language and Literature and Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
- Lenore L. Newman
- Department of Geography, University of the Fraser Valley, 33844 King Rd., Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8, Canada
- Valerie Oosterveld
- Faculty of Law, Western University, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Patrice Potvin
- Département de didactique, Faculté des sciences de l’éducation, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Sheryl Reimer-Kirkham
- School of Nursing, Trinity Western University, 7600 Glover Rd., Langley, BC V2Y 1Y1, Canada
- Jennifer Rowsell
- Department of Educational Studies, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
- Dawn Stacey
- School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
- Susan L. Tighe
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
- David J. Vocadlo
- Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr., Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
- Anne E. Wilson
- Psychology Department, Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
- Andrew Woolford
- Department of Sociology and Criminology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2019-0044
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 5
pp. 138 – 165
Abstract
Various multiple-disciplinary terms and concepts (although most commonly “interdisciplinarity,” which is used herein) are used to frame education, scholarship, research, and interactions within and outside academia. In principle, the premise of interdisciplinarity may appear to have many strengths; yet, the extent to which interdisciplinarity is embraced by the current generation of academics, the benefits and risks for doing so, and the barriers and facilitators to achieving interdisciplinarity, represent inherent challenges. Much has been written on the topic of interdisciplinarity, but to our knowledge there have been few attempts to consider and present diverse perspectives from scholars, artists, and scientists in a cohesive manner. As a team of 57 members from the Canadian College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada (the College) who self-identify as being engaged or interested in interdisciplinarity, we provide diverse intellectual, cultural, and social perspectives. The goal of this paper is to share our collective wisdom on this topic with the broader community and to stimulate discourse and debate on the merits and challenges associated with interdisciplinarity. Perhaps the clearest message emerging from this exercise is that working across established boundaries of scholarly communities is rewarding, necessary, and is more likely to result in impact. However, there are barriers that limit the ease with which this can occur (e.g., lack of institutional structures and funding to facilitate cross-disciplinary exploration). Occasionally, there can be significant risk associated with doing interdisciplinary work (e.g., lack of adequate measurement or recognition of work by disciplinary peers). Solving many of the world’s complex and pressing problems (e.g., climate change, sustainable agriculture, the burden of chronic disease, and aging populations) demands thinking and working across long-standing, but in some ways restrictive, academic boundaries. Academic institutions and key support structures, especially funding bodies, will play an important role in helping to realize what is readily apparent to all who contributed to this paper—that interdisciplinarity is essential for solving complex problems; it is the new norm. Failure to empower and encourage those doing this research will serve as a great impediment to training, knowledge, and addressing societal issues.
Keywords
- interdisciplinarity
- academic institutions
- universities
- funding
- scholarly activity
- boundary crossing
- barriers
