interdisciplinary research & writing
DESCRIPTION
INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH & WRITING. Irish Academy of Management 23 April 2013. PROLOGUE. The scientific community shapes the way the world is understood and the definition of problems worth solving To be a ‘scholar’ it is necessary to - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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IRISH ACACEMY OF MANAGEMENT INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH - ANNE HUFF HUFF 1
Anne Sigismund Huff
INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH &
WRITING
Irish Academy of Management23 April 2013
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PROLOGUE
The scientific community shapes– the way the world is understood and– the definition of problems worth solving
To be a ‘scholar’ it is necessary to connect with a scientific community & interact with their
worldview and problem definition
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IRISH ACACEMY OF MANAGEMENT INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH - ANNE HUFF HUFF 3
Overview
1. Description of the research/publication task and its inherent difficulties Argument that these difficulties increase as
disciplinary boundaries are brought together, crossed, or transcended
2. Description of real world complexities, new pressures and their inherent difficulties Advice for research and writing if you decide 2
is more important than 1
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Inherent sensemaking difficulties of research and publication
Designing Research for Publication (2008)
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sensemaking
sensegiving
Academic Presentations& Publications
Individual Scholar
sensegiving
sensemaking
Figure 1.1: The Sensemaking/Sensegiving Circle of Scholarship
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sensemaking
sensegiving
Academic Presentations& Publications
Individual Scholar
sensegiving
sensemaking
Figure 1.1: The Sensemaking/Sensegiving Circle of Scholarship
It is not easy to make sense of the literature
It is difficult to send sense back –
i.e. publish
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7
2004 AOM Organizational Management and THEORY Division
D
David Whetten
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8
2004 AoM Organizational Management and THEORY Division
Hard to make sense of even one
sub-discipline!
At ONE meeting
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Figure 2.1: The Scholar’s Sensemaking Task
Other Experience
My Scholarly Activities
Sensemaking Sensemaking Sensegiving Sensegiving
SensegivingSensemaking SensemakingSensegiving
THIS isinteresting / engaging significant / enduring
trustworthy / authoritative
WHAT is interesting / engaging?significant / enduring ?
trustworthy / authoritative?
The academic conversations that
interest me
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Figure 2.1: The Scholar’s Sensemaking Task
Other Experience
My Scholarly Activities
Sensemaking Sensemaking Sensegiving Sensegiving
SensegivingSensemaking SensemakingSensegiving
THIS isinteresting / engaging significant / enduring
trustworthy / authoritative
WHAT is interesting / engaging?significant / enduring ?
trustworthy / authoritative?
The academic conversations that
interest me
Contribution often comes from unique experience
Which adds its own
complexity
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Figure 10.1: A “Virtuous Circle” of Interaction with Practice and Policy
ScholarsPractitioners &Policy Makers
Suggestions for Adaptation to Practice
Suggestions forTheory & Research
We work in business schools –
many think we should also
acknowledge organisational perspectives!
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Joint research designreflecting different objectives, interpretive
Frames, etc.
´Outside`Scholar
´Inside`Collaborator
OtherScholars
SocialSetting
ImprovedExplanations
ImprovedPerformance
Theoretic Gaps &Disagreements
Problems, AgendasObservations, Theories-in-use
Figure 10.3: “Inside/Outside” Collaborations
I am interested in
collaboration, much more challenging
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Figure 1.4: An Overly Ambitious Conversational Map
Philosophical Discussion Z
Philosophical Discussion X
AcademicSubject
P
Area of Practice1
AcademicSubject
N
ProfessionalLiterature A
Area of Practice 2
ProfessionalLiterature B
AcademicSubject
O
Philosophical Discussion Y
My Project
AcademicSubject
M
Experience
Education
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Maybe policy &practical issues
from mycontext
(prof lit 2)
Maybe secondaryinterest &a source
of ideas for explanation
(input from Z or P)
Conversationassociated with a field
(Academic M) that fits my training & interests,
also providing presentation & publication opportunities
Figure 1.5: A Manageable Conversational Map
The conversationI want to contribute to
.
.
.My Project
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In other words, defining and carrying out a research project is not easy!
I believe that difficulties increase as disciplinary boundaries are
brought together (multidisciplinary)crossed (interdisciplinary)
or relaxed (transdisciplinary)
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360° Multidisciplinary Ideal
PROJECT
Discipline 1
Discipline 2
Discipline 3
Discipline 4
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Can work well As a design principle for curriculum design
(e.g. MBA) or a text book In large scholarly projects to which individuals from
different disciplines contribute e.g. Changes along the US/Canadian boarder that should influence government policy – inputs from economics, sociology, political science, etc.
To explain complicated issues in the ‘real world’ Exemplar: Graham Allison’s Essence of Decision
Cuban Missile Crisis (Rational Action Model, Organizational Process Model, Governmental Politics Model)
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Often difficult to publish multidisciplinary work
Each discipline has its own - theoretic history - vocabulary - contexts of interest - methods - current AGENDA, etc. etc. Audience from one discipline less interested in,
accepting of, able to understand, the complexities of other disciplines
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Figure 1.2: Two Conversations about Similar Topics I and I’
Conversation about org
identity
Conversation about org identity2
Theory z
Subfield
Journals Ŏ,Ő,Θ
Journals Ş,Ŝ,Ś
Profession M Discipline S
Ontology/epistemology
methodology
Ontology/epistemology
Subfield Subfield
Base Discipline P
Professional association Professional association
methodology methodology
Theory xTheory y
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
Internet citations obscure different
conversations
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Structure of publishing reflects this reality
Most journals are associated with specific disciplines
- editors and reviewers understand that discipline, believe it is important - likely to prioritise ‘on target’ submissions
FREQUENT SOLUTION Import a few ideas from another discipline (ONE, maybe two) as a contribution to primary conversation – the author translates
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Multidisciplinary inquiry leads to new fields
• Chemistry and Biology • History and Psychology • Economics and Sociology
Note the bold (one field seems to dominate, at least in the beginning)
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Interdisciplinary ideal
From manyTo
SynthesisTo few
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Experience outside academics often important
Engineering, biology … NANOSCIENCE Practice
Strategy, economics… ENTREPRENEURSHIP Practice
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RESEARCH AND PUBLISHING DIFFICULTIES POSED BY THE
“REAL WORLD”
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LIFE is complex (especially if you are a constructivist)
Even post-positivists, realists, etc. admit limits to human understanding
Unacknowledged antecedents & unanticipated consequences of action
make learning difficult Constructivists argue that the world itself is
indeterminate, unfolding makes prediction difficult
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In other words
Academic silos (encouraged by research and publishing norms) fall short
Often we are not able to be helpful
When we are, we often rise above disciple
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Transdisciplinary Ideal
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When is Transdisciplinarity required?
• Global Security (politics, computing, economics, sociology, corporations, etc. etc. etc.)
Platforms for acting are woefully inadequate
Great need for specialized understanding, which is woefully inadequate
What to publish??? Where????
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ADVICEif you are drawn to
multi/inter/trans disciplinary
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1. DO NOT WAIT …until you have more time, more freedom,
more security
it is likely to be too late
you will become what you do in the meantime
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2. TAKE A PORTFOLIO PERSPECIVE Very risky to give all your attention to new
approaches Give significant attention to projects that are
relatively easy to do, and publish a few multidisciplinary projects make sense from a lifestyle perspective, to learn how to do a new kind of work, and as seeds for later projects
SPEND MORE TIME PRUNING THAN ADDING TO A PORTFOLIO !
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The root of DECIDE means “to cut”
Scissors
Incisors
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3. LOOK FOR EXEMPLARS
Think about whether it is necessary to invent the wheel – the more interesting work likely to be beyond first steps
Look at news Look for existing research, websites, etc.
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4. ALLY WITH FELLOW TRAVELLERS Remember that academic research is a
social activity
Remember that you will be evaluated by the company you keep – but beware if you care about elitism very much
Almost all innovation happens at the periphery not in the middle or at the top
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5. MAXIMIZE LINKS AMONG TEACHING, SERVICE & RESEARCH
Even in required modules with a syllabus, choose examples, speakers, etc. from your area of interest
In other words, teach yourself
shift, de-emphasize, delegate, etc. to make your life easier, but also to bring coherence to your activity and thinking
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6. WRITE A FORMAL STATEMENT JUSTIFYING YOUR OVERALL
RESEARCH AGENDA Introduce with a statement of who you are --
your identity as a scholar How the subjects you study relate Future plans and dates
Especially, publication plans ASSESS PRIMARILY FROM AN EXTERNAL
PERSPECTIVE, RETHINK IF RESULTS ARE NOT COMFORTABLE FROM YOUR INTERNAL PERSPECTIVE
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i.e. Write an “academic portfolio” – you need a map and your evaluators will need a map
http://www.hr.uwa.edu.au/working/promotion/academic/portfolio#academic
www.ouhsc.edu/.../Portfolio_Research_AAP_2012_vwlf_000.pdf
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Prepare for the journalist at your doorPrepare for research funding proposals
You should be able to say why your work is important and interesting in simple words
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Last Thought
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Prepare for Anti-Disciplinary! MIT Media Lab Director: Joi Ito http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2012/11/features/open-university?page=all
Ito was originally rejected for the role because he lacked academic credentials. "The search committee said out of courtesy …send him an email appreciating his interest but …he didn't qualify," Nicholas Negroponte recalls….
"Six months later, we came up empty, with no candidate. And Joi's name floated back to the top of the list. I sent Joi an email -- where are you? He said, I'm in the Bahamas. I said get your ass up to MIT as soon as you can. He came two days later [and got the job]."
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[MIT] Media Lab is a community of inventors who work atelier style as members of research teams, doing the things that conventional wisdom says can’t or shouldn't be done
http://www.media.mit.edu/admissions/program-overview
Needed, to some extent, in all areas of inquiry
http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/future-for-media-lab
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http://thenextweb.tumblr.com/post/11696874984/director-of-mits-media-lab-joi-ito-we-like-to
Director of MIT’s Media Lab Joi Ito : “We like to think of ourselves as anti-disciplinary in our approach to learning. Everyone here is deeply devoted to their field, but very respectful of each other and it shows.”
Ito points to the architecture of the Lab itself as part of the process for collaboration. Rebuilt in 2009, the Media Lab extension space was designed by Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki. Students from various disciplines can peek through the expansive glass walls and find inspiration in each other’s projects. According to Ito, it’s through this spirit of collaboration and respect that innovations like Yo Yo Ma’s hypercello sensors can later inspire technologies in car airbags.
http://park.org/Events/BrainOpera/Archive/Hyperinstruments/hypercello.html http://web.media.mit.edu/~joep/SpectrumWeb/captions/Cello.html
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References Boyer, Ernest (1997). Scholarship Reconsidered. Carnegie. Gibbons, Michael; Camille Limoges, Helga Nowotny, Simon
Schwartzman, Peter Scott, & Martin Trow (1994). The new production of knowledge: the dynamics of science and research in contemporary societies. Sage.Mode 1 (academic based) and Mode 2 (problem based) knowledge creation
Huff, Anne (2008). Designing Research for Publication. Sage. Huff, Anne S & James O Huff. (2001) Re-focusing the business school
agenda. British Journal of Management 12 (s1), S49-S54 Mode 3 (ethics) Huff, Anne (2000). Changes in Organizational Knowledge Production.
Academy of Management Review 25 (2), 288-293 Mode 1.5 (between academics and practice) Nowotny, Helga; Peter Scott & Michael Gibbons (2001). Rethinking
science: knowledge in an age of uncertainty. Cambridge: Polity