Results of a Survey to Identify Differences between Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Research Process

Abstract

Because of the rise in new technological and scientific discoveries and products, the disciplines have multiplied rapidly into disciplinary, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and now transdisciplinary in the fields of natural science, social science, engineering and technology, humanities, arts, and the professional or applied arts and sciences. The numbers of disciplines, subdisciplines, and fields of study have grown from less than twenty-five to well over eight thousand and are still growing rapidly. The majority have been developed in the last one hundred years with the bulk developing in the years since World War II ended in 1945. The main objective of this chapter is to discuss the results of a survey conducted to compare interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research requirements.