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Doing Interdisciplinary Research

The Collaborative Social Science Domain supports methodological innovation and new cross disciplinary collaborations across institutional boundaries.  We hope that you will find this collection of resources useful as you plan your research activities.

Publish or Perish: Getting Collaborative Social Science Published

The way we do social science research is changing. Funders are showing a growing interest in collaborative, interdisciplinary research which is leading to increasing numbers of cross-disciplinary projects receiving funding. Many Early Career Researchers (ECRs) are involved in these projects and, in the 'publish or perish' climate of academia, getting this non-traditional content published is a new challenge for them to overcome.  More

Changing Disciplines for the Better

In this session, Professor Nick Tyler (Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering UCL) led a discussion on the ways in which early career researchers can challenge the disciplinary hegemony driving much of current research and develop their own ways to create new ways of tackling the problems facing the world. Based on his own experience of developing interdisciplinary research, he suggested tactics for being creative while at the same time meeting the requirements for promotion criteria, publication rates, grant applications and other necessary parts of an early career researcher's working life.

Working Across Disciplines: concepts, language and ways of working

The challenges facing early career researchers include a number of tensions. For instance, being ambitious but ensuring aims are achievable; being focussed but not too narrow and being open to new ideas and directions. In this talk, Professor Susan Michie (Education & Health Psychology, UCL and Director, UCL Centre for Behaviour Change) discussed these issues in relation to her own career and experience and helped participants think about these issues in relation to their current dilemmas and future career plans.

Data Management Planning

Research funders are increasingly considering Research Data Management as part of funding applications. This often involves writing a Data Management Plan. These plans vary across funders and project. One of the challenges researchers may face is knowing which services are available at UCL and who is able to provide support.

Impact

An introduction to the concept of impact, and guidance to help Early Career Researchers plan for, enable and evidence the changes their research can deliver so that they can demonstrate impact.

Generating ideas for interdisciplinary research

Sir Alan Wilson's views from his 'Tricks of the Trade' workshop about the foundations of research planning which support originality and ambition within interdisciplinary frameworks

Assessing interdisciplinary research

Professor Dame Athene Donald reflects on the challenges of assessing interdisciplinary research.

Reports

The status of interdisciplinary research and the challenges to its further development in the UK and elsewhere have been the subject of numerous recent studies.  We hope that you will find this collection of recent reports beneficial.