Paper Info
Title
Transdisciplinarity: Reaching Beyond Disciplines To Find Connections
Abstract
We live in an era in which the world is becoming increasingly more connected or, as Tom Friedman puts it, "flat." The inevitable consequence of this interconnectedness trend is that problems are becoming much too complex to successfully solve by applying methods from within a single discipline. This recognition is most evident in the growing trend toward multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration among traditionally independent disciplines. As such collaboration intensifies, existing disciplines are being enriched and occasionally new disciplines are beginning to emerge. At the same time, the knowledge gaps among the disciplines are beginning to surface. What appears to be lacking is a new way of thinking that strives to harmonize traditional disciplines by reaching beyond their traditional boundaries to fill the knowledge gaps not addressed by them. Transdisciplinary thinking promises to reach beyond disciplinary boundaries to identify and overcome knowledge voids and incompatibilities in the quest for knowledge unification. Achieving these objectives is key to fostering new relationships among traditionally independent disciplines and, in so doing, begin to address problems of national and global significance. This paper discusses the aims of transdisciplinarity, the road to transdisciplinarity, successes resulting from transdisciplinary thinking, and recommendations for a research and education agenda embracing trandsdisciplinary thinking.
Year
Venue
Keywords
2007
Transactions of the SDPS
collaboration intensifies,knowledge void,new relationship,knowledge unification,interconnectedness trend,trandsdisciplinary thinking,knowledge gap,new discipline,independent discipline,transdisciplinary thinking,biomimicry,multidisciplinary
DocType
Volume
Issue
Journal
11
1
ISSN
Citations 
PageRank 
1092-0617
5
0.77
References 
Authors
1
1
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Azad M. Madni118834.57