Forms of Disciplinarity

Disciplinary: This approach involves a single discipline or field of study. The focus is on deepening knowledge and expertise within a specific academic or professional domain. For example, a physicist working solely within the realm of physics, using theories and methods specific to physics, is engaging in disciplinary research or study.

Interdisciplinary: This approach integrates knowledge and methods from different disciplines, using a synthesis of approaches to address a common problem or topic. Unlike disciplinary work, which is confined to the boundaries of a single field, interdisciplinary work crosses these boundaries. For example, a project that combines insights from psychology and sociology to study human behavior is interdisciplinary.

Multidisciplinary: In a multidisciplinary approach, experts from various disciplines work together, each contributing from their discipline's perspective, but the disciplines remain distinct within the project. The focus is more on adding perspectives rather than integrating them. For instance, a health research project might involve a doctor, a sociologist, and an economist, each analyzing the issue from their disciplinary viewpoint.

Transdisciplinary: This approach goes beyond simply combining different disciplines and seeks to transcend them, creating a new holistic approach. It integrates and transcends disciplinary boundaries to create new frameworks and perspectives. Transdisciplinary approaches are often seen in efforts to address complex societal issues that cannot be understood fully from a single disciplinary perspective. For example, addressing climate change might require a transdisciplinary approach that not only combines but also evolves beyond traditional disciplines like environmental science, economics, and political science.