Interdisciplinary research not working

Ian Chubb, has launched a major report that shines a light on the flaws in the nation's interdisciplinary research efforts. Report author Gabriele Bammer, Director of the ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, said the real challenges of interdisciplinary research are not recognised and measures to address the problems are ineffectual. Professor Bammer said that even though the value of bringing together insights from multiple disciplines and practitioners is accepted, the measures needed to really embed interdisciplinary research in the academic mainstream are not. "There are two essential problems. First, interdisciplinary research is treated as if it is one entity, when in fact there are very different types of interdisciplinary studies. Second, the methods are never adequately documented," Professor Bammer said. "The support needed is very different for a single researcher who is trying to work across two or three disciplines compared to a big diverse team which engages with stakeholders and end-users.