interdisciplinar

Interdisciplinar, or interdisciplinarity, refers to an approach to knowledge and problem solving that integrates perspectives, concepts, and methods from two or more disciplines. The aim is to develop a more comprehensive understanding or to address complex questions that exceed the scope of a single field. In practice, interdisciplinary work seeks cohesion across boundaries rather than simply combining separate contributions.

The term derives from Latin roots meaning “between disciplines.” In English, the adjective is interdisciplinary and the noun form is interdisciplinarity; in Romance languages, including Portuguese and Spanish, the corresponding adjective is interdisciplinar and the noun forms vary (interdisciplinaridade in Portuguese). The concept emphasizes synthesis, collaboration, and the creation of new frameworks that transcend traditional disciplinary divides.

Applications of interdisciplinar occur across education, research, and policy. In education, curricula may integrate mathematics with science or humanities with social science to reflect real-world problems. In research, projects such as climate science, bioinformatics, or urban sustainability combine biology, computer science, economics, and engineering. In policy, interdisciplinary teams analyze health, environment, and social equity to design effective interventions.

Interdisciplinarity is distinct from multidisciplinary work, where disciplines contribute in parallel with limited integration, and from transdisciplinarity, which seeks to involve non-academic stakeholders and undertake knowledge creation beyond formal disciplines. Benefits include more holistic understanding and innovative solutions; challenges include differing methodologies, epistemological tensions, funding incentives, and evaluating interdisciplinary outputs.