interdisciplinära

Interdisciplinära refers to approaches, methods, or collaborations that integrate concepts, theories, data, and techniques from two or more disciplines to address shared questions or problems. In Swedish usage, the term describes projects, programs, or research that crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries.

The concept contrasts with multidisciplinary work, where disciplines work in parallel, and with transdisciplinary work, which seeks to merge disciplines to create a new, shared framework that includes non-academic stakeholders. Interdisciplinarity emphasizes integration of perspectives and methods to generate new frameworks or solutions that cannot be achieved within a single field.

Applications are found across many domains, including health, environmental studies, urban planning, education, and the arts and humanities. Notable examples include efforts in One Health, sustainability science, and digital humanities, which combine biology or ecology with medicine, policy, or computational analysis to address complex problems.

Methods often involve joint research teams, integrated curricula, common research questions, and shared evaluation criteria. Challenges include epistemic differences, language barriers, divergent standards of evidence, and funding or institutional silos that hinder true integration. Effective interdisciplinary work typically requires clear governance, mutual respect among participants, and deliberate efforts to align goals, methods, and communication.

Historically, interdisciplinarity gained prominence as complex social and scientific problems demanded crossing traditional boundaries. Today, many universities and funding bodies promote interdisciplinary programs, collaborations, and assessment approaches, aiming to capture impact that transcends any single discipline.