Problematizing assumptions about interdisciplinary research: implications for health professions education research

This article critically examines three assumptions underlying recent efforts to advance interdisciplinary research —defined in this article as communication and collaboration between researchers across academic disciplines (e.g. Sociology, Psychology, Biology)—and examines these assumptions’ implications for health professions education research (HPER). These assumptions are: (1) disciplines are silos that inhibit the free flowing of knowledge across fields and stifle innovative thinking; (2) interdisciplinary research generates a better understanding of the world as it brings together researchers from various fields of expertise capable of tackling complex problems; and (3) interdisciplinary researc h reduces fragmentation across groups of researchers by eliminating boundaries. These assumptions are among the new beliefs shaping the contemporary academic arena; they orient academics’ and university administrators’ decisions toward expanding interdisciplinary research and training, but witho ut solid empirical evidence. This article argues that the field of HPER has largely adopted the premises of interdisciplinary research but has not yet debated the potential effects of organizing around these premises. The authors hope to inspire members of the HPER community to critically examine th e ubiquitous discourse promoting interdisciplinarity, and engage in reflection about the future of the field informed by evidence rather than by unsubstantiated assumptions. For exam...

Source: Advances in Health Sciences Education - August 19, 2019 Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: research