[Air-l] re: transdisciplinarity

[Radhika Gajjala]

I dont care what label ("transdisciplinarity" or 
"inter-disciplinarity" or "cross-disciplinary") - but this makes a 
lot of sense to me, Gail.

If the question - and a basic accountability to a solution (whether 
one recognizes it as a "solution" or as "further questions/issues") 
drives research - it often takes us to many many places we did not 
anticipate going.


This is what I meant by "integrity" of research.

r

>The transdisciplinarity approach to researching human behaviors lends itself
>well when technology is being used an enabler. I am finding it is necessary to
>use this approach to doing research to gain a better understanding of the
>different forces outside a specific discipline area that directly 
>impacts human
>behaviors that can be assessed internal to a specific discipline. 
>For instance,
>I am currently exploring how business organizations might use blogging as a
>tacit knowledge management support tool. My discipline area is human resource
>development. It is, though, necessary to take a look at the literature in any
>number of disciplines (e.g., philosophy, sociology, psychology, computer
>science) to gain insight as to how technology acts as an enabler in 
>promoting human
>behaviors that are influenced by cultural practices. Hope this makes sense.
>:-) I am finding this approach to doing research is quite different 
>as there is
>no established body of literature and the need to be knowledgeable and
>comfortable with spanning disciplines to seek out essential 
>information to support
>hypotheses.
>
>Gail
>
>-----------------------------------
>Gail D. Taylor, Ed.M.
>University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
>Human Resource Education Ph.D. Student
>Educational Psychology Teaching Assistant
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-- 
Radhika Gajjala
Associate Professor
School of Communication Studies
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH 43403

http://personal.bgsu.edu/~radhik