A self-assessment grid for designing and carrying out an interdisciplinary research project
Interdisciplinary research cannot be improvised. Because of its intrinsic complexity and the investment it requires to produce results that are not only uncertain, but sometimes difficult to evaluate, it demands greater methodological rigour. However, while many researchers learn from participating in interdisciplinary work, they lack the time to capitalise on their experiences and turn them into knowledge that can be shared, and while the literature on interdisciplinarity is increasingly extensive, it often remains theoretical. As a result, there is no practical Vademecum-type guide to refer to when embarking on an interdisciplinary research project.
Yet this type of research project can be compared to a marathon: without adequate preparation, the newcomer, no matter how talented, hits the wall and fails to realise his or her potential. Admittedly, there is no single, infallible method for successfully completing an interdisciplinary research project, which is based on a delicate balance between disciplinary and cross-disciplinary skills (soft skills), interpersonal skills, experience and interpersonal affinities within an ad hoc interdisciplinary group, bearing in mind that interdisciplinary research can have very diverse aims and take a variety of forms. The process of producing interdisciplinary research is not entirely controllable, since it depends on the specific context of each project and is often subject to human contingencies. However, there are certain sine qua non keys to success, and while bringing them together will not guarantee success, neglecting them will waste time and energy, and ignoring them will lead to failure.
In practice, the support we have given to multidisciplinary groups and interdisciplinary research projects has allowed us to identify three types of shortcomings, sometimes corresponding to expressed needs, sometimes to implicit expectations on the part of researchers:
– a lack of definitions and language to explain the originality and relevance of an interdisciplinary project (theoretical prerequisites),
– the expectation of a simple tool to help them to write, set up, manage, carry out and promote an interdisciplinary research project (practical support),
– a need for accessible references that will enable them to go further in the practice of interdisciplinarity (complementary resources).
With these observations in mind, the Mission for Inter- and Transdisciplinarity has drawn up a self-assessment grid to improve the way interdisciplinarity is taken into account in a research project. The checklist is designed to provide step-by-step guidance to all those involved in an interdisciplinary research project, whatever their original discipline, knowledge or previous experience of interdisciplinarity, in implementing an integrated interdisciplinary approach, from the development phase of their research project to the valorisation phase. We have also added a questioning and appropriation phase, so that each applicant can ask himself questions about the meaning and implications of his approach, and position himself in relation to the generic definition of interdisciplinary research. Finally, we have included a selection of useful links at each stage, and introduced the grid with a preliminary statement setting out the starting points (in particular the definitions) and explaining our approach. Our approach is therefore designed to meet the needs of users in all their diversity, so it is both accessible (hence the chosen grid format) and exhaustive in terms of content (while remaining focused on interdisciplinary practice), by providing an ‘all-in-one’ tool.
As Paul Valéry said: “What is simple is wrong. What is complicated is useless”. We therefore hope to have avoided these two pitfalls with this Vademecum (a term meaning “come with me” i.e. etymologically appropriate to the setting in motion of a multidisciplinary collective), which aims to be both
– a practical tool (to improve the quality of interdisciplinary projects submitted in response to calls for proposals and to facilitate their implementation by anticipating the difficulties of interdisciplinary research, leading to greater efficiency and better results)
– and an educational tool (strengthening skills for setting up interdisciplinary projects, introducing the requirements of the interdisciplinary approach in the context of doctoral training, etc.).
We hope you will make good use of it and don’t hesitate to give us your feedback on this blog!
Download the self-assessment grid for interdisciplinary research projects.
OpenEdition vous propose de citer ce billet de la manière suivante :
Flore Nonchez (22 octobre 2024). A self-assessment grid for designing and carrying out an interdisciplinary research project. Crossdisciplines. Consulté le 18 avril 2025 à l’adresse https://crossdisciplines.hypotheses.org/1163