Centre for Transport and Society

Research Without Borders!

Monday July 11th
Dr Sharron Whitecross Team Leader Bid Coordination, RBI Sharron.whitecross@uwe.ac.uk Ext 82043

 Proposals are invited for collaborative research proposals for fundamental research that will overcome barriers to Marine energy deployment. The remit of this call will be those aspects of marine energy generation technologies, the environmental impacts of the technologies and the socioeconomic aspects of marine energy (including policy) that are holding back the deployment of marine energy.

SUPERGEN marine challenge: accelerating the deployment of marine energy (wave and tidal)

Autonomous and Intelligent Systems

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and a number of industrial partners have formed a strategic partnership to fund novel research in autonomous and intelligent systems. It is expected that many academic disciplines will have research ideas to contribute to this call.

ESRC-DFID Joint Scheme for Research on International Development

ESRC and DFID have identified three thematic areas for this call where work will be of particular interest. These areas are: Resource Scarcity, Growth and Poverty Reduction; Information and Communication Technology and Development; Measuring Development.

 Applications are invited from multidisciplinary research groups representing participating funding countries in areas relating to the three objectives of the call: Generate new knowledge on biological, clinical, behavioural, social and environmental factors Explore comparatively different models, methods, approaches and good practices in societal responses to increased longevity Engage in effective knowledge exchange activities that will assist European and other countries to achieve the goal of increasing healthy life expectancy by 2 years by 2020.

Joint Call for Research Applications active and healthy ageing across the life course

RCUK Sandpit
We select 20-30 people to take part in each sandpit through a call for participants. They come from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, have the right mix of personal attributes, such as willingness to take risks, creativity, and communication skills. Outcomes of sandpits range from a single large research project to several smaller projects, feasibility studies, networking activities, overseas visits and so on.

Terminology!
Multi-disciplinarity is a non-integrative mixture of disciplines in that each discipline retains its methodologies and assumptions without change or development from other disciplines within the multidisciplinary relationship. Within a multi-disciplinary relationship this cooperation "may be mutual and cumulative but not interactive" (Augsburg 2005: 56)

 Trans-disciplinarity connotes a research strategy that crosses many disciplinary boundaries to create a holistic approach. It applies to research efforts focused on problems that cross the boundaries of two or more disciplines, such as research on effective information systems for biomedical research (see bioinformatics), and can refer to concepts or methods that were originally developed by one discipline, but are now used by several others, such as ethnography.

Terminology!

Terminology!
Inter-disciplinarity involves the combining of two or more academic fields into one single discipline. Inter-disciplinarity involves researchers, students, and teachers in the goals of connecting and integrating several academic schools of thought, professions, or technologies - along with their specific perspectives - in the pursuit of a common task.

Terminology!
Cross-disciplinarity describes any method, project and research activity that examines a subject outside the scope of its own discipline without cooperation or integration from other relevant disciplines. In cross-disciplinarity, topics are studied using foreign methodologies of unrelated disciplines. Within a cross-disciplinary relationship disciplinary boundaries are crossed but no techniques or ideals are exchanged.

Different Approaches to the Problem

Quantitative and qualitative approaches are underpinned by different sets of assumptions about what we can know and how we can know it Incompatible?

Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

1. The use of words versus the use of numbers 2. The research context of natural versus artificial settings 3. The focus on meanings versus the focus on behaviour 4. The adoption or rejection of natural science as a model 5. An inductive versus a deductive approach 6. The identification of cultural patterns versus the seeking of scientific laws 7. Idealism versus realism
(Hammersley, 1992)

Pragmatic Approach
Adhering solely to quantitative or qualitative assumptions imposes rigid constraints on research Human reasoning is flexible and complex Real world research requires a flexible approach that takes practicalities into account

Transport: Real world research

It takes place in real world settings It answers specific questions identified by a range of people It is often concerned with taking action or solving complex, multi-factorial problems Orientated to client needs rather than academic peers

Looking to both measure and understand meaning

Qualitative elements Ask what and how in order to explore, gain insights, and understand underlying issues Quantitative elements Ask how many and how strong in order to measure, predict, and correlate Shared qualitative and quantitative aims Seek to identify, to look at relationships and at links

To summarise
The differences between qualitative and quantitative ways of doing research may not be as distinct in practice as they are in theory Real world research requires flexibility and answers to specific questions From a pragmatic perspective, the research question should drive the choice of research methods Useful and high quality research can be conducted from within a variety of approaches

Bronstein (2003) Social Work. Vol. 48, 3. Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Interdisciplinary collaboration is an effective interpersonal process that facilitates the achievement of goals that cannot be reached when individual professionals act on their own
Bruner (1991). Ten Questions and Answers to Help policy Makers improve childrens services. Washington, DC:

Education and Human Services Consortium

Bronstein (2003) Social Work. Vol. 48, 3.

Interdependence: Occurrence of and reliance on interactions
among disciplines, each dependent on others to accomplish goals/tasks

Newly created Activities: Collaborative acts that can achieve

more than could be achieved by acting independently

Flexibility: Deliberate occurrence of role blurring, productive

compromise an creative responding

Collective Ownership of Goals: Shared responsibility in

process of reaching goals, joint design, definition, development and achievement

Reflection on Process: Attention to process of working

together, incorporating feedback to strengthen collaborative relationship

Seaburn et al (1996)
A culture of collaboration does not just happen. It must be formed and fashioned by may hands
Models of collaboration. New York: Basic Books. p23

6 Cs of Collaboration
Co-production of project vision and aims Collective ownership of shared goals Co-creation project design Clear roles and responsibilities Communication Co-register project products