Transdisciplinarity in STIRRHS
«Abstract :» I am summarizing shortly the justification of the transdisciplinary initiatives at both the CIHR and STIRRHS, and then I define the concept by comparing to what is disciplinarity, multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity.«Content :»
Dear STIRRHS mentors,
I am submitting the following opinion for discussion.
CIHR definition:
La volonté d'atteindre à des niveaux transdisciplinaires en recherche et en formation des étudiant/es est un objectif visé par les IRSC, voire une priorité selon A Bernstein. Constatant que:
"We are in the midst of a profound revolution in health research, a revolution characterized by the convergence of mathematics, the physical sciences, social sciences and humanities, together with biological, behavioural and clinical approaches to answer important questions in health and disease. Accordingly, there is a growing demand for highly skilled and adaptable individuals who can embrace a diversity of approaches in solving complex problems and in applying solutions." (See http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/4172.html),
CIHRs have created STIHRs in order:
"… to provide leadership in building capacity within Canada's health research community through the training and development of researchers, and fostering the development and ongoing support of the scientific careers of women and men in health research." (See http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/4172.html).
The mean proposed at CIHR to reach this objective is transdisciplinary education (See http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/4206.html).
In STIRRHS, transdisciplinarity is one of our overarching principles (CIHR proposal, 07/2001):
"Transdisciplinarity as an essential characteristic of the research-training environment based on the sharing of pedagogical material, expertise and paradigms."
It is also and one of our objectives (CIHR proposal, 07/2001):
"To broaden the focus of reproductive health research by developing and disseminating a theoretical and a practical model for transdisciplinary research training."
CIHR has defined transdisciplinarity as being:
"…the integration and transformation of fields of knowledge from multiple perspectives in order to define, address, and resolve complex real-world problems." (See http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/4206.html).
Such a wide definition needs to be interpreted. In the CIHR proposal (07/2001, section 4) STIRRHS had adopted the following definition:
"…transdisciplinary approach implies a process of interaction in which an exchange of methodologies occurs. This cross-disciplinary analysis can only be accomplished if a true dialogue across disciplines has been created. It is on the basis of this dialogue that transdisciplinarity become “operational” and results in a blurring of boundaries between research methodologies, a sharing of vocabulary, syntax and paradigms. Under optimal conditions, transdisciplinary research can result in the creation of (a) new science(s). STIRRHS will ensure that, in addition to the biomedical, clinical, population health and health policy disciplines, bioethical and legal considerations will be integrated in the analysis when appropriate."
Following the September meeting of the STIRRHS mentors in Montréal, a new definition was proposed in October 2003 by Maria DeKoninck and William Fisher (voir document envoyé par Julie Sénécal le 3 février 2004). A passage of their report is particularly relevant here:
"Transdisciplinarity is multidisciplinarity done well and more... A transdisciplinary approach involves sensitivity to the fact that multiple disciplines must contribute to research on complex reproductive health problems; an awareness of the core contributions potentially made by relevant disciplines; and training in conceptualizing research problems and organizing research teams to reflect the multiple disciplines relevant to studying complex questions in our area and an effort to go beyond sharing perspectives, knowledge and ways of doing to finally share a common language."
In order to understand the meaning of the concept of transdisciplinarity, it is useful to understand the meaning of other concepts such as disciplinary, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches in science and medicine. I will refer below to two authors, Rosenfield and Giri [Rosenfield, 1992 #528; Giri, 2002 #695].
Interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary research addresses the various components or sectors of a health problem while maintaining distinct boundaries between the various areas of science. The resulting analysis may remain fragmented and may not provide an adequate conceptual framework for constructing successful understanding of health and health problems. In contrast, a transdisciplinary approach implies a process of interaction in which an exchange of methodologies occurs. This cross-disciplinary analysis can only be accomplished if a true dialogue across disciplines has been created and if disciplinary knowledge is made accessible to each participant. It is on the basis of this that transdisciplinarity become “operational” and results in a blurring of boundaries between research methodologies, a sharing of vocabulary, syntax and paradigms. Therefore, an inter- or multi-disciplinary approach maintains the disciplinary boundaries and thus the results presented remain fragmented from one another. According to Giri [Giri, 2002 #695], "… the practice of creative transdisciplinarity ... is different from interdisciplinarity as in the later there is very little scope for a deep interpenetration of disciplinary perspectives, overcoming one’s disciplinary chauvinism and an openness to the perspectives of other disciplines." Theoretically, a transdisciplinary approach allows a better understanding, above and beyond the issues studied and the consequences of our interventions on people and the society. Under optimal conditions, transdisciplinary research can result in the creation of (a) new science(s) [Rosenfield, 1992 #528].
In the context of a discussion forum on the regulation of infertility treatment by IVF, I am currently applying the following criteria to distinguish between disciplinarity, multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity:
- Disciplinarity: Description of the state of knowledge in each discipline represented on the forum.
- Multidisciplinarity: Following the description of the state of knowledge in each discipline, an opinion composed of the sequential presentation of the medical, biomedical, population health, ethics and law aspects of the problem could be produced. Such a procedure looks like a cut and paste approach for the redaction of the opinion. Working that way would result in a multidisciplinary opinion [Rosenfield, 1992 #528].
- Interdisciplinarity: Following the description of the state of knowledge in each discipline, a multidisciplinary discussion of the various aspects of the regulation of IVF treatment could have been started. In that case, students would have reported an interdisciplinary consensus opinion [Rosenfield, 1992 #528]. Again, analogically, they would have used the functions cut and paste to proceed through this process.
- Transdisciplinarity: Following the description of the state of knowledge in each discipline, and the interdisciplinary discussion it is possible to investigate deeper the subject and to finally share conceptual framework, vocabulary, concepts, perspectives and paradigm of the different disciplines represented in the forum. Such a process would result in a common language and a new understanding of the regulation of IVF treatment in Canada and therefore to a transdisciplinarity opinion [Rosenfield, 1992 #528; Giri, 2002 #695] on the subject.
Looking forward for your comments.
Raymond D. Lambert, le 17 février, 2004
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Transdisciplinarity
Transdisciplinarity does not refer to “general” or “global” knowledge. It refers to integrated specialized perspectives and to knowlege that produce a complex and more comprehensive interpretation of reality. To be able to do this, tenants of different disciplines must work together, not by sacrificing their expertise or their methodologies, but by bringing their skills into real complementarity with those of other researchers. This implies that they make an effort to identify when and how other disciplines (and which) can contribute to a study and, in practice, to try to integrate the different inputs. The expected output is better science.
Why?
Why in reproductive sciences ? The field of reproduction and of reproductive health is one where problems are, by definition, complex and raise questions of different nature (biological, physiological, mental, social...). Therefore, while specialized monodisciplinary expertise is still needed, only a combination of different disciplines can raise appropriate questions and propose comprehensive explanations and interpretations. Whether it be in the area of sexual health, in fertility, in maternal and newborn care... the issues all involve at some point biomedical, behavioural, psychological and social (including economic, legal etc.) aspects.
Multidisciplines and transdisciplinarity
transdisciplinary approach requires the competency to analyze complex reproductive health science problems in relation to the potential contributions of many specializations, the competency to conceptualize these problems in terms of the biomedical, behavioural, and social dimensions they may involve, and the readiness to work cooperatively with specialists from disciplines that are relevant to the solution of complex problems in reproductive science.
The question to be asked here is : what disciplinary points of view are needed to answer in a comprehensive fashion ? The answer can only be given if their is some knowledge about what the other disciplines are about and what they can contribute.
How does “transdisciplinary” differ from “multidisciplinary?” Transdisciplinarity is multidisciplinarity done well and more... A transdisciplinary approach involves sensitivity to the fact that multiple disciplines must contribute to research on complex reproductive health problems; an awareness of the core contributions potentially made by relevant disciplines; and training in conceptualizing research problems and organizing research teams to reflect the multiple disciplines relevant to studying complex questions in our area and an effort to go beyond sharing perspectives, knowledge and ways of doing to finally share a common langage.
Where do we go from here?...
Answering the simple following question: what other disciplines should you sollicit to help you in your research in order to bring about significant new knowledge ? This may be enough for a start. But, to answer such a question, one must know at least a little about other disciplines and their ways of doing research. Discussing a theme from different disciplinary standpoints is a useful way to discover how a problem can be explored and to propose interdisciplinary alliances.
A simple approach, and if well done, a very productive one, is to match different disciplines in the supervision of graduate students. Another approach is to bring together students and mentors from diverse disciplines around a complex problem. This could be achieved in the context of a seminar series. Another approach is to ask students to interpret the results of their specific research in the context of the resolution of a broader health issue. In fact, it is a goal of STIRRHS mentors to develop and assess different avenues for the development of transdiscipinary training.
Document présenté par Maria de Koninck & William Fisher
(Version anglaise seulement)