IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envira/v41y2009i5p1171-1184.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Barriers to Research Collaboration across Disciplines: Scientific Paradigms and Institutional Practices

Author

Listed:
  • Philip Lowe
  • Jeremy Phillipson

Abstract

In a recent paper in this journal it was suggested that the conventional knowledge practices of disciplines are the fundamental obstacle to mutual understanding between academic experts. Such a position, we argue, underplays the institutional relationships that recreate expert and disciplinary divides. To demonstrate our case we discuss how in the UK the evolving relationship between the government and research councils has crucially altered the context for efforts to stimulate interdisciplinary research. Our analysis highlights the scope for changes in institutional structures and practices that would facilitate broader and more encompassing research into complex sustainability problems.

Suggested Citation

  • Philip Lowe & Jeremy Phillipson, 2009. "Barriers to Research Collaboration across Disciplines: Scientific Paradigms and Institutional Practices," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 41(5), pages 1171-1184, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:41:y:2009:i:5:p:1171-1184
    DOI: 10.1068/a4175
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/a4175
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1068/a4175?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chris Caswill & Robin Wensley, 2007. "Doors and boundaries: A recent history of the relationship between research and practice in UK organizational and management research," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(3), pages 293-320.
    2. Philip Lowe & Jeremy Phillipson, 2006. "Reflexive Interdisciplinary Research: The Making of a Research Programme on the Rural Economy and Land Use," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(2), pages 165-184, July.
    3. Robert Evans & Simon Marvin, 2006. "Researching the Sustainable City: Three Modes of Interdisciplinarity," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 38(6), pages 1009-1028, June.
    4. Mariella Marzano & David N. Carss & Sandra Bell, 2006. "Working to Make Interdisciplinarity Work: Investing in Communication and Interpersonal Relationships," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(2), pages 185-197, July.
    5. Stewart, Jenny, 1995. "Models of priority-setting for public sector research," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 115-126, January.
    6. Dietmar Braun, 2003. "Lasting tensions in research policy-making — a delegation problem," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 30(5), pages 309-321, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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


    Cited by:

    1. Tibor Y. Stigter & Marta Varanda & Sofia Bento & João Pedro Nunes & Rui Hugman, 2017. "Combined Assessment of Climate Change and Socio-Economic Development as Drivers of Freshwater Availability in the South of Portugal," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 31(2), pages 609-628, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. C. Hinrichs, 2008. "Interdisciplinarity and boundary work: challenges and opportunities for agrifood studies," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 25(2), pages 209-213, June.
    2. Andrew Donaldson & Neil Ward & Sue Bradley, 2010. "Mess among Disciplines: Interdisciplinarity in Environmental Research," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(7), pages 1521-1536, July.
    3. Justin Greaves & Wyn Grant, 2010. "Crossing the Interdisciplinary Divide: Political Science and Biological Science," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 58(2), pages 320-339, March.
    4. Klerkx, Laurens & Leeuwis, Cees, 2008. "Institutionalizing end-user demand steering in agricultural R&D: Farmer levy funding of R&D in The Netherlands," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 460-472, April.
    5. Rafols, Ismael & Leydesdorff, Loet & O’Hare, Alice & Nightingale, Paul & Stirling, Andy, 2012. "How journal rankings can suppress interdisciplinary research: A comparison between Innovation Studies and Business & Management," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(7), pages 1262-1282.
    6. Zeigermann, Ulrike & Böcher, Michael, 2020. "Challenges for bridging the gap between knowledge and governance in sustainability policy – The case of OECD ‘Focal Points’ for Policy Coherence for Development," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    7. Jane Wardani & Joannette J. (Annette) Bos & Diego Ramirez‐Lovering & Anthony G. Capon, 2022. "Enabling transdisciplinary research collaboration for planetary health: Insights from practice at the environment‐health‐development nexus," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 375-392, April.
    8. Alan MacLeod & Glyn D. Jones & Helen M. Anderson & Rick A. Mumford, 2016. "Plant health and food security, linking science, economics, policy and industry," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(1), pages 17-25, February.
    9. Benedetto Lepori & Emanuela Reale & Stig Slipersaeter, 2011. "The Construction of New Indicators for Science and Innovation Policies: The Case of Project Funding Indicators," Chapters, in: Massimo G. Colombo & Luca Grilli & Lucia Piscitello & Cristina Rossi-Lamastra (ed.), Science and Innovation Policy for the New Knowledge Economy, chapter 2, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    10. Kragt, M.E. & Pannell, D.J. & McVittie, A. & Stott, A.W. & Vosough Ahmadi, B. & Wilson, P., 2016. "Improving interdisciplinary collaboration in bio-economic modelling for agricultural systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 217-224.
    11. Laura De Dominicis & Susana Elena Pérez & Ana Fernández Zubieta, 2011. "European university funding and financial autonomy. A study on the degree of diversification of university budget and the share of competitive funding," JRC Research Reports JRC63682, Joint Research Centre, revised Mar 2011.
    12. Pemsl, Diemuth E. & Staver, Charles & Hareau, Guy & Alene, Arega D. & Abdoulaye, Tahirou & Kleinwechter, Ulrich & Labarta, Ricardo & Thiele, Graham, 2022. "Prioritizing international agricultural research investments: lessons from a global multi-crop assessment," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(4).
    13. Brattström, Erik & Hellström, Tomas, 2019. "Street-level priority-setting: The role of discretion in implementation of research, development, and innovation priorities," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 240-247.
    14. Bianca Potì & Emanuela Reale, 2007. "Government R&D funding: new approaches in the allocation policies for public and private beneficiaries," CERIS Working Paper 200709, CNR-IRCrES Research Institute on Sustainable Economic Growth - Torino (TO) ITALY - former Institute for Economic Research on Firms and Growth - Moncalieri (TO) ITALY.
    15. Lepori, Benedetto, 2011. "Coordination modes in public funding systems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 355-367, April.
    16. Mills, Bradford F. & Karanja, Daniel D., 1997. "Processes and methods for research programme priority setting: the experience of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute Wheat Programme," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 63-79, February.
    17. Mosoniné Fried, Judit & Szunyogh, Zsuzsanna, 2008. "Kutatás és fejlesztés a közszférában [Research and development in the public sphere]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(1), pages 60-79.
    18. Talmar, Madis & Walrave, Bob & Raven, Rob & Romme, A. Georges L., 2022. "Dynamism in policy-affiliated transition intermediaries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    19. Adriana Consorte-McCrea & Helen Newing, 2015. "Creating spaces for interdisciplinary exchange in higher education: A case study," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 30(3), pages 265-279, May.
    20. Maria Bårdsen Hesjedal & Heidrun Åm, 2023. "Making sense of transdisciplinarity: Interpreting science policy in a biotechnology centre," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 50(2), pages 219-229.

    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:sae:envira:v:41:y:2009:i:5:p:1171-1184. 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.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.