Investigating Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity: How Meta-Ethnography Contributes to the Study of Collaborative Research Practices

Abstract

Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity are collaborative research modes that help advance science dealing with grand societal challenges. However, many factors still act as obstacles to high-impact research, showing disconnections between practices and policies. We can reasonably question whether we are still incapable of applying the correct methods to grasp interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary heterogeneity. This article aims to deepen the discussion of the methodological options for critically studying interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity. By applying meta-ethnography to the inter- and transdisciplinary academic literature, the paper inquires about the suitability of the method to study bodies of knowledge on interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity. Meta-ethnography is a seven-phase literature review type of meta-synthesis aimed at creating new understandings and theories from a body of work. Applying an autoethnographic approach, I show how meta-ethnography allows for the reconceptualisation of a disparate and dispersed body of literature, advancing current discussions on inter- and transdisciplinarity and their roles in science and policy. The approach outlined in the article is innovative because it contributes to two related realms: (i) it helps advance the field of inter- and transdisciplinary research and policy because it refines the methods available to study these multidimensional practices, and (ii) it offers an example of the further adaptability of meta-ethnography to new topics, such as the investigation of collaborative settings. I analyse six challenges in light of the scientific literature and conclude by focusing on the value meta-ethnography has for studying interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and propose two methodological innovations.