This document discusses multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research. It outlines the challenges of navigating traditional disciplinary focused environments and proposes strategies for expanding beyond one's home discipline. The author reflects on their experience starting with related subdisciplines and progressively incorporating more distant fields to address real-world problems. They argue the opportunities of cross-disciplinary research lie in impact, innovation, and inclusion.

1. Working at the edge:
Developing a multidisciplinary research agenda
Arosha K. Bandara
21 Nov 2019
inter
trans
@arosha | #OUResearch

2. MOTIVATION
2
Computing in the world …
• Clear system boundary
• Focus on data, algorithms,
protocols, etc
• Disappearing system boundary
• Cyber-physical / Socio-technical

3. DEFINITIONS
3
Multidisciplinary Research
Research Questions,
Theory,
Models & Tools Research Questions
Theory & Methods
My Discipline My Discipline

4. DEFINITIONS
4
Interdisciplinary Research
Research Qs, Theory,
Models & Tools
Research Qs
Theory & Methods
My Discipline My Discipline
Research Questions
Research Questions,
combine Theory, Method, Tools, etc

5. DEFINITIONS
5
Transdisciplinary Research
Research Qs, Theory,
Models & Tools
Research Qs, Theory & Methods
Our DisciplineOur Discipline
Theory
Models
Tools
Research Questions
Research Questions,
combine Theory, Method, Tools, etc
Stakeholder Stakeholder

6. TRADITIONAL APPROACH
6
Value of disciplinary research
Bodies of Knowledge
Methods & Tools
Focus for Research

7. CHALLENGES
7
Navigating the Research Environment
Discipline Focussed
PhD Training

8. Limited Funding
Sources
CHALLENGES
8
Navigating the Research Environment
Discipline Focussed
PhD Training
Lack of High-profile
Publication Venues

9. CHALLENGES
9
Navigating the Research Environment
Discipline Focussed
PhD Training
Lack of High-profile
Publication Venues

10. Limited Funding
Sources
CHALLENGES
10
Navigating the Research Environment
Discipline Focussed
PhD Training
Lack of High-profile
Publication Venues

11. Limited Funding
Sources
CHALLENGES
11
Navigating the Research Environment
Discipline Focussed
PhD Training
Lack of High-profile
Publication Venues

12. Limited Funding
Sources
CHALLENGES
12
Navigating the Research Environment
Discipline Focussed
PhD Training
Lack of High-profile
Publication Venues

13. CHALLENGES
13
Developing personal strategies
Reading beyond
‘home’ discipline
Building collaborator
networks
Removing biases
(e.g., ‘similar-to-me’)

14. My Experience

15. SETTING OUT
15
Working at the near horizon
Work with other
Sub-disciplines
software engineering, distributed systems,
human computer interaction
MOBILEHCI

16. SETTING OUT
16
Working at the near horizon
Work with other
Sub-disciplines
software engineering, distributed systems,
human computer interaction
ICSE

17. BULDING UP
17
Expanding beyond computing
Working with other
relevant disciplines
software engineering, distributed systems,
artificial intelligence, social psychology
SEAMS

18. BULDING UP
18
Expanding beyond computing
Working with other
relevant disciplines
software engineering, distributed systems,
artificial intelligence, social psychology
PSYCHOLOGYCOMPASS

19. TAKE OFF
19
Going out into the world
social care, psychology, software engineering,
machine learning and human computer interaction
policing, psychology, software engineering and
human computer interaction
Combine disciplinary
perspectives to address
real-world problems

20. Reflections

21. SUMMARY (1)
21
Reflecting on the challenges
Personal Group
?? ??
Systemic

22. SUMMARY (3)
22
Focus on the opportunities
Impact
Innovation
Inclusion

23. FINAL THOUGHTS
23
Cross-disciplinary Research Credo
Competence
Courage
Curiosity
Openness

24. THANK YOU

25. Q&A / DISCUSSION
Our vision for computing and communications technology is people centred: we
are committed to integrating technology effectively into human activity. We seek to:
• Empower: placing people at the centre of our research
• Situate: focusing as much on context as on technology
• Disrupt: creatively disrupt discipline borders for new perspectives and solutions
In other words, we focus on the use of digital technology to enhance human
experience.
RESEARCH VISION