Connecting experimental and ethical issues in interdisciplinary research : a case study within "Coasts under stress"
Date
2003
Authors
Corrin, Sarah C.
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Abstract
The focus of this study is on experiential and ethical issues in interdisciplinary research. Data from participant observations and five qualitative interviews with West coast researchers in "Coasts Under Stress" are analyzed using a case-study design. The study des9ribes the following content categories involved in interdisciplinary research: Project Administration, Research Design, Research Contexts, Interpersonal Dynamics, and Knowledge and Translation. Experiential, process, and ethical dimensions of these categories were analyzed and expanded upon from within a constructivist and feminist theoretical framework. Findings discuss the valuing of interdisciplinary research, the negotiation and centrality of relationships within interdisciplinary contexts, and the emergence of paradoxical tensions in the practice of interdisciplinary research. Recommendations for future research highlight the need for further in-depth study of ethical issues relating to power dynamics, translation of knowledge, links between experiences and ethics, and developmental processes of interdisciplinary projects.