A Practical Guide to Transdisciplinary Research

Focussing on transdisciplinary research as a research method for the future, this volume provides the latest thinking and accessible resources for problem-solving, collaborative research that cuts across disciplinary boundaries and engages different communities. Transdisciplinary research is a problem-solving research approach where different disciplines are combined and transcended, primarily through teamwork, to solve complex problems in the real world innovatively. This volume teases apart what transdisciplinarity looks like in practice at the individual, interpersonal, and project levels. The chapters cover conceptual ground with core ideas, philosophies, terms, and principles that distinguish trandisciplinarity from other research approaches, provides guidance in the planning and implementation of these approaches, and helping readers think through the different sections of a research proposal for a transdisciplinary project. A section dedicated to applications focusses on planning for and implementing research dissemination, translation, and application activities, with emphasis on community engagement as being central to the process. Developed for scholars in and outside of academia and with graduate students in mind, it would also be of value to undergraduate students in specialized, practice-based programs, for developing team-based projects and honors theses based on applied research projects.