Defining Terms for Integrated (Multi-Inter-Trans-Disciplinary) Sustainability Research

Defining Terms for Integrated (Multi-Inter-Trans-Disciplinary) Sustainability Research

Our contemporary social and ecological problems, including climate change, peak oil and food security, necessitate solutions informed by multiple backgrounds that singular disciplines seem unable to provide, and possibly, are even incapable of providing. The increasing occurrence of multi-, interand transdisciplinary (MIT) research projects speak to the recognition of that necessity. But as the...

Quality criteria for inter- and trans-disciplinary doctoral research outcomes

Integrated versus Multi-disciplinary Research: Prospects for Environmental Researchers

Introduction If 'sustainability' is an icon of environmentalists in southern Africa, so too is 'integration' for scientists drawn into this arena. Scientists seem to be less capable than their compatriots, however, at substantiating their ideals. Popular environmentalism thrives on various forms of civic pressure on government and industry to 'clean up their acts'. Conservation agencies can sho...

Tackling diabetes with a trans-disciplinary integrated scientific approach

Multi-Disciplinary Views for Integrated and Concurrent Design

The definition and implementation of user views is likely to be a major factor in the success of the ISO-STEP standard for computer-based representation of building components and their inter-connection. The development of a method for describing user views to a particular model is also likely to increase the usage of existing design tools. Currently, the arcane languages and the detailed knowl...