Interdisciplinary team - Definition and Overview

Interdisciplinary work is that which integrates concepts across different disciplines. New disciplines have arisen as a result of such syntheses. For instance, quantum information processing amalgamates elements of quantum physics and computer science. Bioinformatics combines molecular biology with computer science. An interdisciplinary team is a team of people with training in different fields. Interdisciplinary teams are common in complex environments such as health care.

A few traditional disciplines could be considered as more interdisciplinary than others: philosophy, anthropology, mathematics, business, education, ecology, and history among others. Some other, newer fields, such as cybernetics and systems theory, are also highly interdisciplinary. All disciplines have important connections with other disciplines, however.

Factors that, arguably, have hindered interdisciplinary work are the traditional divisions that have been established between disciplines and the resulting homogeneity within academic bodies such as departments and specialized academic journals. Nevertheless, some of the most important interdisciplinary work has been done by people who have a definite "academic home" in one discipline.

Here are a few of the most important concepts that are arguably interdisciplinary, thus finding applications in several different fields:

Interdisciplinarity terms

• abstraction
• architecture
• analogy
• chaos theory
• complexity
• control
• culture
• cycle
• design
• discipline
• elegance
• energy
• entropy
• equilibrium
• evolution
• feedback
• generalization
• hierarchy
• invariance
• language
• learning
• logic
• methodology
• model
• mind
• negotiation
• ontology
• order
• pattern
• position
• purpose
• relation
• self-organization
• signal
• simplicity
• specialization
• strategy
• structure
• synthesis
• system
• transformation
• trust
• uniformity
• unity
• universe
• whole

Interdisciplinary researchers

• William Newell, Western College Program professor
• Julie Klein
• [1] (http://www.is.wayne.edu/mnissani/PAGEPUB/10CHEERS.HTM)Moti Nissani

See also

Highly interdisciplinary fields (see also: Category:Interdisciplinary fields)

• Cognitive science
• Political economy
• Library and information science
• Cybernetics
• Systems theory

External links

• A glossary of interdisciplinary concepts (http://www.uia.org/uialists/ndx/konindex.htm).
• Association for Integrative Studies (http://www.units.muohio.edu/aisorg/)