ABSTRACT
Interdisciplinary research provides the opportunity for teams to address complex problems from multiple perspectives. The importance of research that crosses the boundaries of traditional disciplines is now widely recognized by funding agencies and universities. Often a vice president for research, dean, or department chair will set out to show that their university, school, or program reaches beyond traditional academic boundaries to mine the interstices between fields and disciplines. Just because you hear this talk of interdisciplinary activity, the questions always linger. Can you get grants doing interdisciplinary work? Can you get promoted doing it? Can you even publish in it? It turns out the answer is yes to all these questions, but successful interdisciplinary research and publication requires employing a thoughtful approach to integrating components of the different disciplines. This chapter gives you guidance for effective integration strategies that can produce significant research results and publication success.
