The landscape of contemporary research is characterized by a renewed interest in the potential of interdisciplinarity. Yet there are few discussions of the development of interdisciplinary methods and their ‘behaviour’ in the field.
The Routledge Handbook of Interdisciplinary Research presents a bold intervention by showcasing a diversity of stimulating approaches. Over 50 experienced researchers illustrate the challenges, but also the rewards of doing interdisciplinary research through discussions of their own practice and that of others. Each section is dedicated to an aspect of interdisciplinary methodology, including collection, classification, validation and communication to research audiences. Featured projects cover a variety of scales and topics, from small art-science collaborations to the ‘big data’ of mass observations.
Most importantly, the Handbook presents a distinctive approach, defamiliarizing and reworking established practices such as experimenting, archiving, observing, prototyping and translating. The focus is on knowledge as process, the compounding of methods, and the role of interdisciplinary methods in activating the present.
Celia Lury is Professor and Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies at the University of Warwick.
Rachel Fensham is Professor of Dance and Theatre Studies and Assistant Dean of the Digital Studio, Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne.
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas is a writer on contemporary cinema and a Research Associate at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne.
Sybille Lammes is Professor of New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Leiden.
Angela Last is Lecturer in Environmental Humanities at the University of Leicester.
Mike Michael is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology at the University of Exeter.
Emma Uprichard is Reader at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies at the University of Warwick.