About
Interdisciplinary work is becoming increasingly important in science. The advancements and specialization of individual disciplines result in a growing number of topics that require interdisciplinary research. So, what exactly does interdisciplinary work mean in science, and how can it be done successfully?
To shed light on the opportunities and challenges of interdisciplinary collaboration, the Weizenbaum Institute offers an online course that provides scientists with valuable guidance and practical knowledge about interdisciplinary work.
Anna Froese, Silvio Suckow, and Hendrik Woiwode collaborated to develop the online course “Interdisciplinary Competence” at the Berlin Social Science Center WZB in 2022. The course highlights the development of interdisciplinary approaches, presents factors for successful interdisciplinary teamwork, and addresses potential difficulties that can arise in interdisciplinary projects. Upon completion, participants have learned valuable strategies and practical tips for interdisciplinary work. The course incorporates the results of the research project “Interdisciplinarity and Research Creativity”. The course aims to explain which factors contribute to navigating the tension between interdisciplinary promotion and disciplinary evaluation cultures. Through over 60 interviews with interdisciplinary scholars and research managers in Germany, the USA, the UK, and Israel, models, heuristics, and success factors that have proven effective in practice have been identified across a range of disciplines, institutional arrangements, and personalities.
The production team included Vladimir Bondarenko, Felix Kampeter, Antje Bornemeier, Niklas Döhler, and Frederik Holtel. The IWM Tübingen provided advice on pedagogical design.
Silvio Suckow is currently responsible for managing the course. The course is free of charge and available under an open access licence (CC-BY-SA 4.0).