IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jamest/v50y1999i3p242-253.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Structures and strategies of interdisciplinary science

Author

Listed:
  • Carole L. Palmer

Abstract

This study explores the information processes and work situations of interdisciplinary scientists. The analysis focuses on structural and strategic elements of information exchange between intellectual domains. Interview data reveal that scientists undertake individual and cooperative boundary‐crossing research. Four research modes are identified and associated with different approaches to seeking information and knowledge base development. Probing for information, consultation, and learning are among the scientists' central interdisciplinary research practices. In spite of these work strategies, research progress is complicated by the tension between researchers' efforts to maintain a broad perspective and a high level of productivity. Information initiatives can provide “leeway” to help researchers shift their efforts away from their core specialization to the peripheral domains that infuse their interdisciplinary work.

Suggested Citation

  • Carole L. Palmer, 1999. "Structures and strategies of interdisciplinary science," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 50(3), pages 242-253.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jamest:v:50:y:1999:i:3:p:242-253
    DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4571(1999)50:33.0.CO;2-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4571(1999)50:33.0.CO;2-7
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4571(1999)50:33.0.CO;2-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Abramo, Giovanni & D’Angelo, Ciriaco Andrea & Zhang, Lin, 2018. "A comparison of two approaches for measuring interdisciplinary research output: The disciplinary diversity of authors vs the disciplinary diversity of the reference list," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 1182-1193.
    2. Elizabeth Anne Erichsen & Cheryl Goldenstein, 2011. "Fostering Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Research in Adult Education," SAGE Open, , vol. 1(1), pages 21582440114, April.
    3. Seongkyoon Jeong & Jong-Chan Kim & Jae Young Choi, 2015. "Technology convergence: What developmental stage are we in?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 104(3), pages 841-871, September.
    4. Teixeira, Aurora A. C. & Castro e Silva, Manuela, 2015. "Relational environment and intellectual roots of 'ecological economics': An orthodox or heterodox field of research?," Economics Discussion Papers 2015-52, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    5. Sasaki, Hajime & Sakata, Ichiro, 2021. "Identifying potential technological spin-offs using hierarchical information in international patent classification," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    6. Biancani, Susan & Dahlander, Linus & McFarland, Daniel A. & Smith, Sanne, 2018. "Superstars in the making? The broad effects of interdisciplinary centers," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 543-557.
    7. Giovanni Abramo & Ciriaco Andrea D'Angelo & Flavia Costa, 2012. "Identifying interdisciplinarity through the disciplinary classification of coauthors of scientific publications," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 63(11), pages 2206-2222, November.
    8. Rhoten, Diana & Pfirman, Stephanie, 2007. "Women in interdisciplinary science: Exploring preferences and consequences," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 56-75, February.
    9. van Eck, N.J.P. & Waltman, L., 2009. "How to Normalize Co-Occurrence Data? An Analysis of Some Well-Known Similarity Measures," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2009-001-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    10. Jae Young Choi & Seongkyoon Jeong & Kyunam Kim, 2015. "A Study on Diffusion Pattern of Technology Convergence: Patent Analysis for Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(9), pages 1-24, August.
    11. Siedlok, Frank & Hibbert, Paul & Sillince, John, 2015. "From practice to collaborative community in interdisciplinary research contexts," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 96-107.
    12. Reindert K. Buter & Ed. C. M. Noyons & Anthony F. J. Raan, 2011. "Searching for converging research using field to field citations," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 86(2), pages 325-338, February.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jamest:v:50:y:1999:i:3:p:242-253. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.asis.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.