Toward a Better Understanding of the Definition of Transdisciplinary Scientific Collaboration

Abstract

The question of what is transdisciplinarity and when might a team be considered transdisciplinary is a question posed by health research investigators and practitioners in the U.S. who, over the last 15 years, have seen or responded to calls for transdisciplinary research proposals. The present paper tackles the question by providing the following: contemporary and historical context (including frustrations of social scientists), a definition in which transdisciplinary scientific collaboration is defined as an ideal form of collaboration with a high level of interaction between researchers. A discussion of related terms is also provided.