Introduction: Crossing the Divides

Riesch, Hauke; Emmerich, Nathan; Wainwright, Steven P.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-92738-1_1

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 49 publications

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“…Similarly, Nersessian and Newstetter (2014) discuss engineering examples of a multidiscipline, interdiscipline, and transdiscipline (work that transcends discipline through synthesis). While these authors seek generalizable definitions of interdisciplinarity, others suggest that what counts as interdisciplinarity can vary depending upon the disciplinary context of each case (Riesch et al, 2018). Others again choose not to seek closely delineated definitions, instead simply using the term interdisciplinarity to capture all work between people with different expertises (Barry et al, 2008;Jacobs and Frickel 2009).…”

Section: Interdisciplinaritymentioning

confidence: 99%

Interdisciplinary Projects as an Expert-Network

Stephens

2021

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We report an analysis of how an interdisciplinary project bringing together biologists, physicists and engineers worked in practice. The authorship team are the Principle Investigator who led the project, and a social scientist who studied the project as it was conducted by interviewing participants and observing practice. We argue it is accurate and productive to think of the interdisciplinary team as an Expert-Network, which means it was a managed set of relationships between disciplinary groups punctuated by specific junctions at which interdisciplinary exchange of materials, knowledge, and in limited cases, practices, occurred. We stress the role of trust in knowledge exchange, and document how hard sharing knowledge – and especially tacit knowledge - between disciplines can be. Key is the flexible management of the network, as the membership and required skill set change. Our analysis is embedded within, and contributes to, the Sociology of Experience and Expertise (SEE) framework. We close by suggesting advice for others seeking to manage a similar interdisciplinary Expert-Network.

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