Barriers and facilitators to integration among scientists in transdisciplinary landscape analyses: a cross-country comparison

Defining Terms for Integrated (Multi-Inter-Trans-Disciplinary) Sustainability Research

“…There is some debate on the extent to which research is coordinated and integrated. While some suggest that multidisciplinary research is coordinated, but not integrated [47]; others contend that there is no coordination, but there is integration at a low level [5]. In general, it is hard to imagine that the research is not, in some way coordinated whilst maintaining even a slight degree of coherence, but it may indeed not be integrated.…”

“…The term 'crossdisciplinary' is also used in the literature in the same sense [5][6][7]-however, it has also been used in the past to define a particular type of multidisciplinarity [8]. Further, it suggests boundaries are simply crossed rather than integrated and thus would appear to emphasise weaker forms of integrated research [9].…”

“…While these are important concerns there is perhaps a more fundamental issue that needs to be addressed. Robinson [27] suggests that integrated research has for many years been "bedeviled ... by an ongoing and unresolved discussion about terminology"-an issue that is observed by practically any researcher who cares to investigate researchers' understandings of integrated research terminologies [5,[27][28][29][30].…”

“…A particularly important issue in this regard concerns the variety of types (arguably reflecting different levels of integration) of integrated research that are often confused and incorrectly labeled [5,41,42]. Tress et al [28] suggest this lack of a common understanding is one of the key barriers to integration.…”

Defining concepts and process of knowledge production in integrative research

“…One could argue that everybody is free to use and define the concepts in his or her own way. Of course, the plurality of definitions is legitimate; however, the studies of Jakobsen et al (2004) and Tress et al (in press) revealed that the lack of common understanding of integrative research concepts is a key barrier to integration in landscape projects and to communication between researchers. Project participants cannot exchange views on project experiences related to integrative research concepts when such concepts are used differently.…”