Mixing Apples and Oranges in Academia

The Risks and Rewards of Multidisciplinary Research

Researchers can discover creative solutions to complex problems when they combine know-how from different disciplines, but they should understand the potential penalties involved. A new study, co-authored by Christine Beckman at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, shows risks and rewards for multidisciplinary research. 

The paper, published in the March 2017 issue of Administrative Science Quarterly, explores two factors that hinder productivity. First is that learning and integrating across multiple areas is mentally taxing. Mastery can be slower to develop when "time, energy and effort are distributed across many categories,” the authors write. 

A second factor involves logistical hurdles. Anyone who has lived and worked overseas understands the challenges of cross-cultural communication. Something similar happens when research partners “grow up” in different academic environments.

Preferred research methods and peer review standards often vary, which can slow a project and result in fewer published papers. This can represent a serious deterrent for young faculty members trying to make tenure.

The challenges become more pronounced when researchers attempt to span distant categories. Bridging geography and optics, for example, might require a greater stretch than bridging civil and chemical engineering.

Once published, however, the payoffs for multidisciplinary research can be huge. Rewards include increased citations and scholarly visibility. “It is a high-risk, high-reward endeavor,” concludes the study, based on an analysis of 32,000 scholarly papers from nearly 900 scientists. 

Read more: Prominent But Less Productive: The Impact of Interdisciplinarity on Scientists’ Careers is featured in Administrative Science Quarterly.