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Fall 2009: Building Interdisciplinary Research Models |
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- Course Directors:
Elaine Larson, PhD, RN
(212-305-0723), Melissa Begg, ScD
(212-305-6555), Guest Lecturers
- Course Number: Nursing N9260
or MSPH
BIST 89260
or GSAS G9260, "Building
Interdisciplinary Research Models"
- Course Meetings:
Fall Semester 2009
Fridays from 11:00am - 1:00pm
Location: Hammer Health Sciences, Room 412
- Description:
Interdisciplinary
research is an approach to advancing scientific knowledge requiring
mastery of specific competencies. This seminar will introduce the
students to competencies in interdisciplinary research through a
combination of readings and lectures in each necessary aspect, chosen
from fields essential to successful interdisciplinary research. This
course will assist learners to understand why and how different
professional disciplines, each representing a body of scientific
knowledge, must work together to generate and disseminate knowledge.
Learners will develop a set of skills specific to be an effective
member and leader of an interdisciplinary research team, including
working with different value and knowledge sets across disciplines,
running effective meetings, managing conflict, giving and receiving
feedback, and group decision making techniques. Using the small group
seminar approach and case studies, learners will practice individual
and group communication, reflective and self-assessment techniques,
and engage in experiential learning activities regarding effective
teamwork in interdisciplinary research teams. Techniques to increase
group creativity and frame new insights will be discussed.
- Credits: 3
- Objectives: At the completion
of this seminar the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a working knowledge and
beginning mastery of research competencies shown to be important for
successful interdisciplinary collaborations. These include:
- Engage in discussion with
scholars from other disciplines to gain their perspectives on
research problems of relevance to your own discipline
- Translate research from you
disciplinary area into language meaningful to an
interdisciplinary team
- Articulate theories of disciplines
other than your own through reading journals outside of your own
discipline and discussion
of issues with members of related disciplines
- Collaborate respectfully,
equitably and regularly with colleagues from other disciplines to
develop sustainable interdisciplinary research teams
- Apply theories and methods of
multiple disciplines in developing integrated theoretical and
research frameworks
- Give and receive constructive
feedback that will foster efficient and effective information
exchange, strong working relationships and internal commitment among
team members
- Modify his or her own work and/or
research agenda as a result of interactions with colleagues from
fields other than his or her own
- Methodology
-
The course will include didactic content describing the
interdisciplinary research process, competencies essential to the
conduct of interdisciplinary research, and findings from studies
regarding barriers and facilitators of interdisciplinary research. A
‘B&B (Breaking the Barriers) Series’ of presentations and interviews
by interdisciplinary researchers will be interspersed with the
didactic content. Each researcher will provide an overview of an
interdisciplinary project, discuss how their team was selected and
why, and describe barriers and facilitators to the success of their
work. These presentations will be
illustrative of the challenges encountered in specific
aspects of interdisciplinary scholarship, and will include one or more
research critiques and structured interviews presented by students as
assigned.
-
Evaluation
- Class participation.
Students must be prepared for discussion with cogent and
facilitative questions and rely on evidence from the literature to
support their arguments rather than first-person testimonials and
anecdotes (20%).
- Interdisciplinary Research Team
Experience. At the beginning of the course, identify an
interdisciplinary team with which you can interact throughout the
semester. It may be one with which you are already involved,
or you may seek a new one.
- With their explicit agreement (i.e.,
inform them that you are fulfilling a course assignment), attend
their meetings and become involved as appropriate.
- Read: Stokols D, Misra S, Moser RP,
Hall KL, Taylor BK. The ecology of team science. Am J
Prev Med 2008;35 (2S): S96-S116
- Assess the functioning of the team
using the six factors discussed on pp S106-S111: intrapersonal,
interpersonal, organizational/institutional, physical/environmental,
technologic, and sociopolitical. Use Table 2 and Figure 1 as
guides. To gather your data, you may wish to interview team
'leaders' or members of the team.
- Write a scholarly critique of the
team functioning.
- Include a short introduction which
describes the team: purpose of the team, number of members,
disciplines involved, duration of the team's existence.
- Assess the team's strengths and
weaknesses based on the six elements above.
- Identify specific attributes of the
team that have enhanced its success and/or hindered its progress.
Make recommendations for improving the interdisciplinary nature of
the team (30%).
- Written paper should be a maximum of
8-10 pages. In addition, you will present your findings in
class.
- Final Paper: Interdisciplinary
Approaches to a Research Problem. See
instructions (30%)
- Homework assignments, including
serving as discussion leader for one of the required readings for
the course (20%)
- Course Schedule
|
Sessions |
Date |
Topics |
Assignments |
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1 |
9/11/09 |
Why interdisciplinary research? |
- Complete Self-Assessment
- Read Chapters 1 and 2, NAS text
- Brown T. Design thinking. Harvard Bus Rev June 2008;84-92.
- Rhoten D. Interdisciplinary research: Trend or transition.
Items and Issues 2004;5(2-1):6-11.
- Rhoten D, Parker A. Risks and reward of an
interdisciplinary research path. Science 2004;306:2046. |
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2 |
9/18/09 |
B&B (Breaking the Barriers) Session 1:
Debate, pros and cons of interdisciplinary research (Lowy, Kessin) |
- Stokols D, Hall KL, Taylor BK, Moser
RP. The science of team science. Am J Prev Med
2008;35(2S):S77-S89.
- Butler D. Crossing the valley of death. Nature
2008;453:840-842.
- Lepford H. The full cycle. Nature 2008;453:843-845. |
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3 |
9/25/09 |
Definitions of interdisciplinary
research |
- Aboelela SW, Larson E, Bakken S,
Carrasquillo O, Formicola A, Glied SA, Haas J, Gebbie KM.
Defining interdisciplinary research: Conclusions from a criticial
review of the literature. Health Serv Res 2007;42:329-346.
- Who'd want to work in a team? Nature 2003;424(6944):1.
- Mitchell PH. What's in a name? Multidisciplinary,
interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary. J Prof Nursing
2005;21(6):332-334.
- Complete Survey: Defining Interdisciplinary Research |
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4 |
10/2/09 |
B&B Session 2: Various models of
interdisciplinary research (Bakken)
Interdisciplinary research
competencies |
- Gebbie KM, Meier BM, Bakken S,
Carrasquillo O, Formicola A, Aboelela SW, Glied S, Larson E.
Training for interdisciplinary health research: Defining the
required competencies. J Allied Health 2008;37:65-70.
- Rogers EM. Lessons for guidelines from the diffusion of
innovations. Jt Comm Jl Qual Improv 1995;21:324-328.
- Stokols D. Toward a science of transdisciplinary action
research. Am J Commun Psychol 2006;38:63-77. |
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5 |
10/9/09 |
B&B Session 3: How to select
competencies needed for a specific project (Gebbie) |
- Larson EL, Saiman L, Haas J, Neumann
A, Lowy FD, Fatato B, Bakken S. Perspectives on
antimicrobial resistance: Establishing an interdisciplinary
research approach. Am J Infect Contr 2005;33:410-418. |
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6 |
10/16/09 |
Institutional barriers and
facilitators of interdisciplinary scholarship |
- Read Chapter 5, NAS text
- Garvin DA. Building a learning organization. Harvard Bus Rev
1993;71(4):78-91. |
|
7 |
10/23/09 |
B&B Session 4: Institutional barriers
to interdisciplinary research and how to minimize them (Glied) |
- Glied S, Bakken S, Formicola A,
Gebbie K, Larson EL. Institutional challenges of
interdisciplinary research centers. J Res Admin
2007;38:28-36. |
|
8 |
10/30/09 |
B&B Session 5: Individual barriers and
facilitators of interdisciplinary research |
- Stokols D, Misra S, Moser RP, Hall
KL, Taylor BK. The ecology of team science. Am J Prev
Med 2008;35(2S):S96-S115. |
|
9 |
11/6/09 |
Developments in the science of team
science |
- Fiore SM. Interdisciplinarity
as teamwork: How the science of teams can inform team science.
Small Group Res 2008;39:251-277.
- Wuchty S, Jones BF, Uzzi B. The increasing dominance of
teams in production of knowledge. Science
2007;316:1036-1039.
- Hall KL, Feng AX, Moser RP, Stokols D, Taylor BK. Moving the
science of team science forward: Collaboration and creativity.
Am J Prev Med 2008;35(2S):S243-S249. |
|
10 |
11/13/09 |
Predictors of success
B&B Session 6: Exemplar of a
successful interdisciplinary research project |
- Larson EL. Minimizing
disincentives for collaborative research. Nurs Outlook
2003;51:267-271.
- Gray B. Enhancing transdisciplinary research through
collaborative leadership. Am J Prev Med
2008;35(2S):S124-S132. |
|
11 |
11/20/09 |
Assessing effectiveness of
interdisciplinary research teams
B&B Session 7: Evaluation techniques (Weng,
Merrill) |
- Read Chapter 8, NAS text
- Stokols D, Harvey R, Gress J, Fuqua J, Phillips K. In vivo
studies of transdisciplinary scientific collaboration.
Lessons learned and implications for active living research.
Am J Prev Med 2005;28(2S2):202-213.
- Aboelela SW, Merrill JA, Carley KM, Larson EL. Social
network analysis to evaluate an interdisciplinary research center.
J Res Admin 2007;38:61-75. |
|
12 |
12/4/09 |
Research teams of the future (Byrne
re: Sun study) |
Read Chapters 9 and 10, NAS text
- Kessel F, Rosenfield PL. Toward transdisciplinary
research: Historical and contemporary perspectives. Am J
Prev Med 2008;35(2S)S225-234.
- Complete final self-assessment |
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13 |
12/11/09 |
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS |
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- Final Paper: Interdisciplinary
Approaches to A Research Problem
The
purpose of this paper is to identify an important health or health
care problem that warrants research, assess gaps in what is currently
known, and articulate how a research study might be designed to
address the problem, first from individual disciplinary points of view
and then with an interdisciplinary approach.
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Sections of Paper |
Approximate Length |
Grading |
| 1.
Describe an important health or health care problem, including,
for example, its prevalence, severity, costs, impact on society,
etc. This should be a problem of interest to you. |
Generally
1-2 paragraphs, but a maximum of 1-2 pages |
10 points |
| 2.
Identify gaps in our current understanding of this problem, i.e.,
what is not known that would help to address or add important
information needed to resolve the problem. |
Generally
1-2 paragraphs, but a maximum of 1 page |
10 points |
| 3.
From your specific discipline, develop at least one research aim
or question to address this problem. Describe the
theoretical underpinnings associated with this aim (i.e., what is
your disciplinary perspective). |
A few
paragraphs |
10 points |
| 4.
Now, identify two other disciplines and develop at least one
additional research aim or question to address this problem from
each of these disciplinary perspectives. Again, describe the
theoretical underpinnings associated with this aim (i.e., what are
the respective disciplinary perspectives). |
A few
paragraphs |
15 points |
| 5.
Develop a research aim or question which might emanate from an
interdisciplinary perspective. |
A few
paragraphs |
15 points |
| 6.
As principal investigator of this study, describe the research
team that you assemble, your rationale for these selections, and
what role each member would play. |
A few
paragraphs, maximum of 1-2 pages |
20 points |
| 7.
Finally, describe potential challenges that might emerge during
your project and steps you would take to maximize the potential
for a successful interdisciplinary project. |
1-2 pages |
20 points |
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Supervised Field Experience in Interdisciplinary Research on
Antimicrobial Resistance |
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- Description: An essential
component of this pre- and postdoctoral fellowship in
Interdisciplinary Research on Antimicrobial Resistance is a field
experience in which each fellow is exposed to aspects of research
regarding resistance with which they have not been previously
familiar, or using research methods with which they have not developed
skill. Therefore, the experience will be scheduled during the first
year of the fellowship to assist fellows to further identify the
interdisciplinary aspects of their research. The selection of
the center or mentors will be based on the fellows’ proposed research
interests and might include: working with a new population or in a
setting in which the fellow has no previous experience (e.g. a
laboratory scientist working in the community, health department or a
healthcare setting; a social scientist working in a laboratory; a
clinician using mathematical modeling or social networking analyses to
examine transmission dynamics or working with an economist or health
policy mentor to assess the potential systems effects or policy
implications of his/her research.
- Objectives: At the completion
of this experience, the fellow will draft a publishable manuscript
related to the field experience, having completed the following:
- Expand his/her research aims to
include an interdisciplinary perspective.
- Identify collaborators/mentors for
his/her research project.
- Participate in the ongoing
interdisciplinary research of the assigned mentor(s).
- Complete a specific
interdisciplinary project.
- Requirements:
- Active participation in field
experience
- Create publishable manuscript
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Examples of Field Experience Preceptors/Sites
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Peter Bearman |
Director, Institute for Social
and Economic Research and Policy at CU |
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Robert
MacArthur |
Director,
Columbia-Presbyterian
Medical
Center Research Pharmacy |
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Nathaniel
Hupert |
Physician & Mathematical
Modeler, Weill Cornell Medical Center (Affiliated with CUMC) |
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Melissa Marx |
Epidemiologist, NYC Dept of Health & Mental Hygiene |
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Barry
Kreiswirth |
Director,
Public
Health
Research
Institute Tuberculosis Center; Adjunct Prof, CUMC |
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Mary Ann
Chiasson |
Vice
President for Research and Evaluation, Medical and Health
Research Association of New York City, Inc.; Prof of
Epidemiology, CUMC |
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Alwyn Cohall
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Director,
Harlem
Health
Promotion
Center; Associate Prof, CUMC |
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Lester Wright
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Medical Director, State
Corrections |
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Other Required Courses and Research Activities |
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All trainees will:
- Complete the "Responsible Conduct of
Research & Related Policy Issues" course.
Instructor: Richard Kessin; Co-Instructor: Jamie Rubin
Course # G4010; 1 Credit; Spring Semester
- Complete the
CUMC on-line Good Clinical Practices & HIPAA courses.
- Regularly attend one Seminar Series
outside of their discipline. Click
here for a list of CUMC departmental research seminar series.
- Attend Fogarty/CIDER Seminar Series
and CIDER Fellows meetings. View
the Calendar for schedule of meetings.
- Attend at least one IRB meeting.
View the meeting schedule and roster on the
IRB
homepage and obtain permission from the appropriate IRB chair
prior to attending. Join the IRB
listserv.
- Lead one CIRAR seminar to update
the group on his/her progress and turn in a written summary to the
TIRAR Directors.
- Attend at least one national meeting
of relevance to his/her research (trainees have $800 available for
travel).
- Produce at least one publishable
manuscript from CIRAR projects or coursework.
- Track each of these requirements in
his/her
trainee portfolio.
- Sign the
TIRAR Trainee
Agreement Form.
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