Interdisciplinary Research: Process and Theory

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Product Description

First published in 2008, this book was hailed as the only comprehensive and systematic presentation of the interdisciplinary research process and the theory that informs it. This revised and expanded Second Edition reflects the burgeoning interest in, and substantial research on, all aspects of interdisciplinarity since then. Its key contribution is a more complete treatment of integration, particularly how to integrate insights from diverse perspectives.

Allen F. Repko provides an easy-to-follow decision-making process, highlighting the foundational and complementary role of the disciplines in interdisciplinary work. He includes numerous examples from the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and applied fields to illustrate how to create common ground and how to construct a more comprehensive interdisciplinary understanding and reflect on, test, and communicate it. The book is ideally suited for active learning and problem-based pedagogical approaches as well as for team teaching and other more traditional strategies.

Interdisciplinary Research: Process and Theory Review

Well, the description did get one thing right: this book is comprehensive.
Unfortunately, there genuinely is not enough material to justify about the size on the topic of interdisciplinary research.

Allow me to give an example:
Here is a list of a few of the terms that you will have the joy of getting to know if you labor through Allen Repko's comprehensive text on interdisciplinary research.

Disciplinary
Disciplinary adequacy
Disciplinary inadequacy
Antidisciplinary
Interdisciplinary
Disciplinarity
Interdisciplinarity
Instrumental interdisciplinarity
Conceptual interdisciplinarity
Critical interdisciplinarity
Traditional interdisciplinarity
Pragmatic interdisciplinarity
Disciplinarian
Interdisciplinarian
Expert interdisciplinarian
Multidisciplinary
Multidisciplinarity
Transdisciplinary

Ladies and gentlemen, not only do all of these terms appear before page 45, they generally have very counterintuitive meanings. If this doesn't seem a little excessive to you, I officially name you a professor of interdisciplinary research. Usually when I see this many unique terms at the beginning of a scholars work, it indicates to me a desperate desire to be considered legitimate by the academic community. Basically, if you have to invent a bunch of fancy words to try to validate your area of study, I wonder about your academic legitimacy.

If you still haven't made up your mind about the book, consider this other example:
Starting on page 28, six interdisciplinary critiques of the disciplines are given:

"Specialization can blind the students to the broader context."

"Specialization tends to produce tunnel vision."

"Disciplinarian sometimes fail to appreciate other disciplinary perspectives."

"Some worthwhile topics fall in the gaps between disciplines."

"Creative breakthroughs often require interdisciplinary knowledge."

"The disciplines are unable to address comprehensively complex problems."

Does anyone notice anything funny about the first four of the six critiques? I'll give you a hint: they are all the same critique. Mr. Repko just felt the need to say it four times. You know what else? The last two critiques are really only one as well. The only two real critiques that Mr. Repko has are that disciplinarians are unable to consider topics outside of their disciplines, and that disciplinarians are unable to address complex problems because of this.

Mr. Repko goes on and on and on saying the same things. He uses big words and long sentences to try and make himself sound smart. It is this kind of pompous and absurd academic circus that makes academia largely inaccessible to so many students in today's world.

Before I finish up this review I'll try to be nice. Chances are, that with all Mr. Repko says, there isn't much that he leaves out. Still, at best, Mr. Repko's book is hugely inefficient at delivering the necessary information.

Chances are if you're reading this review, you don't have a choice. You are required to read this book for your interdisciplinary studies class.

I'm sorry.

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