Disentangling Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity: The Beauty of Differing Definitions

Abstract

The academic literature on interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity shows no agreement over definitions. It shows plurality, heterogeneity and overlapping terms, even contested and contrasting discourses. Diverse definitions of inter- and transdisciplinarity coexist within the literature and are reproduced by researchers and practitioners. Lack of connections between different communities results in the bottleneck acting as an obstacle to further integration in inter- and trans-disciplinary research. In this chapter, I argue that the heterogeneity and multiplicity of understandings in interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity constitute an asset rather than a hindering factor to the theoretical and methodological development of interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity. I propose three related actions to take stock of the plurality of understandings. This chapter presents the results of a literature review developed in the project “Shaping interdisciplinary practices in Europe” (SHAPE-ID). The project studies how to better support the integration of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (AHSS) perspectives into interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), particularly in the context of addressing societal challenges.