Using the concept of local epistemology to understand and respond to the challenges of interdisciplinary climate research

Abstract:

Complex scientific problems require expertise and input from a diverse set of disciplines and research communities in the natural and social sciences. Interdisciplinary efforts are thus required to develop adequate responses to these complex problems. The success of interdisciplinary efforts requires the integration of the involved research communities along many different dimensions. First, integration is required within the scientific and epistemic—the aims, priorities, perspectives, values, assumptions and methods of each community must be integrated into a shared and balanced collective. Relations between these elements of inquiry in each research community must be systematically mapped out to develop a structured approach for integrating the knowledge and perspectives of each community in the course of interdisciplinary research. Integration along social lines is also necessary for successful interdisciplinary endeavors, which requires a blending of the research cultures from the individual communities involved in the collective efforts. Lastly, in the case of scientific efforts involving the development of models, instruments, or technologies, technical or engineering integration needs to also be achieved. In this talk I introduce a systematic approach for understanding the challenges of interdisciplinary research across the three dimensions, as well as a framework for achieving the integration along these dimensions needed for successful research. Integration for successful interdisciplinarity results from 1) the identification of norms for collaborative activities that do not privilege the science or socio-epistemic features of one participating community over another, 2) gradual collaborative conceptual change by modification of the established socio-epistemic landscape of each community, and 3) identification of a scientific bridge, in the form of a set of research questions, responsive to the current research priorities of the involved communities.