Five Organizational Features That Enable Successful Interdisciplinary Marine Research

Blythe, Jessica; Cvitanovic, Christopher

doi:10.3389/fmars.2020.539111

Cited by 32 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 94 publications

(129 reference statements)

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“…Building capacity to overcome these challenges is critical in enabling improved interdisciplinary marine research processes (e.g. Blythe and Cvitanovic, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Five Questions to Understand Epistemology and Its Influence on Integrative Marine Research

et al. 2021

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Developing solutions to the complex and uncertain problems facing marine and coastal social-ecological ecosystems requires new forms of knowledge production and integration. While progress has been made both in terms of successfully producing integrated marine research and connecting that knowledge to decision-makers, a number of significant challenges remain that prevent the routine development and implementation of successful integrated research practice. Based on our own experiences as social researchers working within interdisciplinary research teams, we contend that one of the main barriers to successful integrative marine research relates to understanding, and where possible reconciling, the different epistemologies that unpin how knowledge is created or discovered in different disciplines. We therefore aim to provide an accessible introduction to the concept of epistemology, with a focus on its importance and influence to integrated marine research practice. Specifically, we present and discuss five questions of research design that relate to epistemology in integrative research practices: (1) What is the object of study we seek to create knowledge about; (2) how do we create knowledge; (3) who accepts knowledge as ‘true’ and how?; (4) how do we determine the epistemology underpinning marine science; and (5) what are the implications of epistemology for applied integrative marine science? We demonstrate the application of each question through a hypothetical case study of marine restoration, focusing on coral transplanting. Finally, we offer readers a simple heuristic to guide them, irrespective of career stage or discipline, to understand and account for epistemology when participating in integrative marine research practices.

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“…Building capacity to overcome these challenges is critical in enabling improved interdisciplinary marine research processes (e.g. Blythe and Cvitanovic, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Five Questions to Understand Epistemology and Its Influence on Integrative Marine Research

et al. 2021

Self Cite

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“…An interdisciplinary 1 approach was central to the Future Seas project as it: (1) expanded the boundaries of the futures we could explore (beyond disciplinary perspectives of scientists and/or sectarian approaches from different industries); (2) permitted participants to conceptualise shared visions of the future and co-design transformative pathways to achieving those futures (Bai et al 2016 ); (3) allowed us to explore the interactions between marine ecosystems and other SDGs; and (4) supported the development of new relationships among researchers from different disciplines and career stages, driving cross-disciplinary learning (Table 1 B). Cross-disciplinary learning is fundamental to achieving the UN Decade of Ocean Science (Blythe and Cvitanovic 2020 ; Teh et al 2017 ; Thébaud et al 2017 ; Thrush et al 2016 ). The development of interdisciplinary marine scientists and provision of leadership training for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) was central to the Future Seas project.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing achievable alternate futures for key challenges during the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development

Nash

Alexander

Melbourne-Thomas

et al. 2021

Rev Fish Biol Fisheries

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“…Consequently, potential new members (including different disciplines, ECPs and less well represented countries) may be limited in their ability to participate and contribute to this research. This potentially reduces project participant diversity and (potentially) delays social and natural science collaborations (Blythe and Cvitanovic, 2020). This potential barrier to inclusion was highlighted by a virtual workshop held in August 2020 by IMECaN, where no limits to attendance, free admittance (assuming access to internet), and no requirement to travel likely contributed to the majority (66%) of participants coming from developing nations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Approaches that reach beyond disciplinary and academic boundaries, however, may not be straightforward. For example, institutional organisational structures often do not support the sharing of staff, resources, and intellectual property (Bridle et al, 2013;Blythe and Cvitanovic, 2020). In addition, the communication across disciplines, team building, and integration of research approaches that is required in interdisciplinary endeavours, may take longer than conventional disciplinary approaches.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Decade of Incorporating Social Sciences in the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research Project (IMBeR): Much Done, Much to Do?

et al. 2021

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Successful management and mitigation of marine challenges depends on cooperation and knowledge sharing which often occurs across culturally diverse geographic regions. Global ocean science collaboration is therefore essential for developing global solutions. Building effective global research networks that can enable collaboration also need to ensure inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches to tackle complex marine socio-ecological challenges. To understand the contribution of interdisciplinary global research networks to solving these complex challenges, we use the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR) project as a case study. We investigated the diversity and characteristics of 1,827 scientists from 11 global regions who were attendees at different IMBeR global science engagement opportunities since 2009. We also determined the role of social science engagement in natural science based regional programmes (using key informants) and identified the potential for enhanced collaboration in the future. Event attendees were predominantly from western Europe, North America, and East Asia. But overall, in the global network, there was growing participation by females, students and early career researchers, and social scientists, thus assisting in moving toward interdisciplinarity in IMBeR research. The mainly natural science oriented regional programmes showed mixed success in engaging and collaborating with social scientists. This was mostly attributed to the largely natural science (i.e., biological, physical) goals and agendas of the programmes, and the lack of institutional support and push to initiate connections with social science. Recognising that social science research may not be relevant to all the aims and activities of all regional programmes, all researchers however, recognised the (potential) benefits of interdisciplinarity, which included broadening scientists’ understanding and perspectives, developing connections and interlinkages, and making science more useful. Pathways to achieve progress in regional programmes fell into four groups: specific funding, events to come together, within-programme-reflections, and social science champions. Future research programmes should have a strategic plan to be truly interdisciplinary, engaging natural and social sciences, as well as aiding early career professionals to actively engage in such programmes.

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Five Organizational Features That Enable Successful Interdisciplinary Marine Research

Cited by 32 publications

References 94 publications

Five Questions to Understand Epistemology and Its Influence on Integrative Marine Research

Five Questions to Understand Epistemology and Its Influence on Integrative Marine Research

Developing achievable alternate futures for key challenges during the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development

A Decade of Incorporating Social Sciences in the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research Project (IMBeR): Much Done, Much to Do?

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