Transdisciplinarity: an imperative for information behaviour research
Introduction. Information behaviour research must be methodologically and conceptually sophisticated to generate knowledge reflecting the complexities of information engagement in people’s lives. Information behaviour research can be enriched by the concept of transdisciplinarity — a collaborative a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Borås
2024-06-01
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| Series: | Information Research: An International Electronic Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://informationr.net/infres/article/view/843 |
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| author | Sarah Polkinghorne Paul Bowell Lisa M. Given |
| author_facet | Sarah Polkinghorne Paul Bowell Lisa M. Given |
| author_sort | Sarah Polkinghorne |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction. Information behaviour research must be methodologically and conceptually sophisticated to generate knowledge reflecting the complexities of information engagement in people’s lives. Information behaviour research can be enriched by the concept of transdisciplinarity — a collaborative approach addressing complex societal problems, with actionable research outcomes.
Method. In-depth analysis traces the emergence of transdisciplinary research design. The paper then examines selected information science studies that possess strong transdisciplinary qualities, including those grounded in community-based approaches and centred on people’s experiences who have been marginalised by mainstream research. The paper then discusses opportunities for, and challenges to, increased transdisciplinarity in information behaviour.
Results. Information behaviour research is well positioned to embrace transdisciplinarity, although this approach has yet to see widespread uptake. Transdisciplinary approaches present information science, generally, with a timely, multifaceted opportunity to adopt research designs that centre community, government, and/or industry stakeholders, which aligns well with the practice-oriented, interdisciplinary nature of the field.
Conclusion. This paper brings a theoretical conceptualisation of transdisciplinarity in relation to information science, focusing primarily on information behaviour research. It expands on the importance of collaboration, innovation, and cross-disciplinarity, and proposes strategies for bridging information science research into more critical investigations of information activities in contemporary society. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1ed9daf7f5c049f9876789999bff4e1d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1368-1613 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | University of Borås |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Information Research: An International Electronic Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-1ed9daf7f5c049f9876789999bff4e1d2025-02-03T10:10:34ZengUniversity of BoråsInformation Research: An International Electronic Journal1368-16132024-06-0129249551110.47989/ir292843840Transdisciplinarity: an imperative for information behaviour researchSarah Polkinghorne0Paul Bowell1Lisa M. Given2RMIT UniversitySwinburne University of TechnologyRMIT UniversityIntroduction. Information behaviour research must be methodologically and conceptually sophisticated to generate knowledge reflecting the complexities of information engagement in people’s lives. Information behaviour research can be enriched by the concept of transdisciplinarity — a collaborative approach addressing complex societal problems, with actionable research outcomes. Method. In-depth analysis traces the emergence of transdisciplinary research design. The paper then examines selected information science studies that possess strong transdisciplinary qualities, including those grounded in community-based approaches and centred on people’s experiences who have been marginalised by mainstream research. The paper then discusses opportunities for, and challenges to, increased transdisciplinarity in information behaviour. Results. Information behaviour research is well positioned to embrace transdisciplinarity, although this approach has yet to see widespread uptake. Transdisciplinary approaches present information science, generally, with a timely, multifaceted opportunity to adopt research designs that centre community, government, and/or industry stakeholders, which aligns well with the practice-oriented, interdisciplinary nature of the field. Conclusion. This paper brings a theoretical conceptualisation of transdisciplinarity in relation to information science, focusing primarily on information behaviour research. It expands on the importance of collaboration, innovation, and cross-disciplinarity, and proposes strategies for bridging information science research into more critical investigations of information activities in contemporary society.https://informationr.net/infres/article/view/843transdisciplinary researchinformation behaviourqualitative methodscollaborative research |
| spellingShingle | Sarah Polkinghorne Paul Bowell Lisa M. Given Transdisciplinarity: an imperative for information behaviour research Information Research: An International Electronic Journal transdisciplinary research information behaviour qualitative methods collaborative research |
| title | Transdisciplinarity: an imperative for information behaviour research |
| title_full | Transdisciplinarity: an imperative for information behaviour research |
| title_fullStr | Transdisciplinarity: an imperative for information behaviour research |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transdisciplinarity: an imperative for information behaviour research |
| title_short | Transdisciplinarity: an imperative for information behaviour research |
| title_sort | transdisciplinarity an imperative for information behaviour research |
| topic | transdisciplinary research information behaviour qualitative methods collaborative research |
| url | https://informationr.net/infres/article/view/843 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sarahpolkinghorne transdisciplinarityanimperativeforinformationbehaviourresearch AT paulbowell transdisciplinarityanimperativeforinformationbehaviourresearch AT lisamgiven transdisciplinarityanimperativeforinformationbehaviourresearch |