What constitutes appropriate peer review for interdisciplinary research?

Abstract

How can interdisciplinary research proposals be more effectively assessed through peer review? A key issue is to characterize what constitutes appropriate peer review for interdisciplinary research. This is approached by considering four key elements on which evaluations of funding proposals are based: (1) the significance of the topic, (2) the importance and tractability of the research question, (3) the appropriateness of the methods and (4) the competence of the applicants, based on track record. Two major differences between disciplinary and interdisciplinary research emerge: (1) the unknowns that form the basis of research questions and (2) the methods employed. For peer review of interdisciplinary research proposals to become more effective, agreed criteria for assessment by peer review are required and this will only occur if interdisciplinarity is “organized” through colleges of peers and professional associations. This article is published as part of a collection on interdisciplinarity.