Interdisciplinary Research Connections and Attitudes in Research Universities

This study explores the factors that support the development of interdisciplinary research connections in a large public research university. Graduate students and faculty from 15 departments (n = 227) responded to an online survey focusing on an individual's openness toward interdisciplinary research, applied epistemological orientation, and potential interdisciplinary collaborations. The findings suggest that the formation of interdisciplinary connections is tied to two main determinants: interdisciplinary openness, which is supported by reporting a more applied epistemological orientation and being a graduate student. The diversity of interdisciplinary connections is influenced by the academic status, with tenured faculty exhibiting the most diversity in connections. Finally, research network analysis suggests that the patterns of interdisciplinary collaborations tend to orient toward collaborations between similar and familiar methodological partners, and not toward collaborations with partners that are wholly unfamiliar in terms of methodology or research focus.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Department dc:contributor.department

Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Knee, Robert Everett

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Foti, Roseanne J.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Deater-Deckard, Kirby
• Hauenstein, Neil M. A.
• Hochella, Michael F. Jr.

• social network
• interdisciplinary research

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-09262011-172550

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/39470