1. Intriguing Interdisciplinary Initiatives
Research SIG
ALISE 2005 Annual Conference
Boston, MA
January 13, 2005

2. “There is no knowing without conflict.”
Palmer, Parker,1988. “Community, Conflict, and Ways of Knowing.” Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 19(5):

3. Framework for Collaboration
All academic fields characterized by
Conflict
Competing views of central paradigms presented by subfields
More consensus exists between collaborators in different disciplines who share expertise in a subfield than between those in the same discipline
Salter, L. & Hearn, A Outside the Lines: Issues in Interdisciplinary Research. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

4. Framework for Collaboration
Both consensus and culture are essential to the learning process
Collaborative learning is process of engaging different perspectives
Differences of opinion more associated with advances in thinking than those of consensus
Trimbur, J “Consensus and Difference in Collaborative Learning.” College English, 51(6):

5. Barriers to Collaboration
Different cultures/geography
Lack of contact and relationship-building
Lack of motivation to collaborate
Competitive mentality
Low trust
Lack of respect
Goman, Carol Kinsey “The Power of Collaboration.” Seminar in Dublin, OH, November 9.

6. Benefits of Collaboration
Differences do not equate conflict
Strong, nonhierarchical, personal relationship
Respect for each other’s expertise
Familiarity arising from history of interaction
Academic culture
Differences often lead to significant new insight and innovation
Creamer, Elizabeth G “Collaborators’ Attitudes About Differences of Opinions.” The Journal of Higher Education, 75(5):
Sample
Purposive sample
12 research pairs = 24
6 of 12 pairs are domestic partners
Selection Criteria:
Senior faculty – associate or full professor
< 21 chapters and/or refereed journal articles or < 5 books
Co-authored publications with partner and collaborated < 10 years

7. Intriguing Interdisciplinary Initiatives
France Bouthillier, McGill University
Design of Information Services for Small Business Managers in the Context of the Public Library: The Need for an Interdisciplinary Approach
Claire McInerney, Rutgers University
Crossing Boundaries in the Real World
Mary Stansbury, Kent State University
Interdisciplinary Idea to Interdisciplinary Effectiveness:  Values, Conflict, and Reward
Marie Radford, Rutgers University
Respond