Multidisciplinary or Interdisciplinary - what to use?

Interdisciplinary vs. multidisciplinary: What's the difference?

Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary describe work that involves multiple separate disciplines. Interdisciplinary work typically involves the linking or combination of two or more fields of study to create a synthesized whole. Multidisciplinary work draws on the knowledge from two or more fields of study as well, but is often used to describe work in which the boundaries of the disciplines involved are maintained.

In short, from Ian Underwood, ACRC Academy Director:

• Intra-disciplinary: working within a single discipline.

  • E.g., an intradisciplinary engineering project.

• Multi-disciplinary: people from different disciplines working together, each drawing on their disciplinary knowledge.

  • E.g. a multidisciplinary leadership team

• Cross-disciplinary: viewing one discipline from the perspective of another.

  • E.g. a cross-disciplinary perspective on an issue

• Inter-disciplinary: integrating knowledge and methods from different disciplines, using a real synthesis of approaches.

  • E.g. an inter-disciplinary training programme

• Trans-disciplinary: creating a unity of intellectual frameworks beyond the disciplinary perspectives.

  • E.g. a transdisciplinary cohort – our ultimate goal!

Other considerations:

REF: Interdisciplinarity:

“For the purposes of the REF, interdisciplinary research is understood to achieve outcomes (including new approaches) that could not be achieved within the framework of a single discipline.

Interdisciplinary research features significant interaction between two or more disciplines and/or moves beyond established disciplinary foundations in applying or integrating research approaches from other disciplines.”

“relating to more than one branch of knowledge.”

From Edinburgh Research Office:

The National Academy of Sciences offers the definition:

Interdisciplinary research is a mode of research by teams or individuals that integrates information, data, techniques, tools, perspectives, concepts, and/or theories from two or more disciplines or bodies of specialized knowledge to advance fundamental understanding or to solve problems whose solutions are beyond the scope of a single discipline or area of research practice.