Interdisciplinary Approach
Throughout history, mankind has experienced challenges in different academic disciplines. These disciplines separate themselves from each other based on their fields of study: the areas of focus they choose to approach in distinct ways. As a result, challenges encountered in a particular academic sphere are met head on by the experts in that particular department. However, many problems have been solved only as a result of combining the unique features of a variety of academic subjects. In other words, an interdisciplinary approach was adopted. Despite this, there have been many situations in which this interdisciplinary approach has led to difficulties in the production of results and conflict in their interpretation. These difficulties and
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The scientific method, which has been used to create every scientific theory in existence, depends first on the scientist's observations and then his reasoning to draw conclusions from the observations made. In addition, within all the natural sciences, theories and ideas must conform to certain scientific facts or laws. As a result, the different disciplines within the natural sciences are closely linked. In many cases, this has led to interdisciplinary approaches. It is common to see scientists from different departments working together to create an innovation or solve a problem and in a majority of cases, this has led to success. An excellent example of this is ecogeomorphology, where the scientific disciplines of hydrology, geomorphology, ecology, chemistry, and engineering are brought together to solve environmental problems in river systems. By combining principles from the geophysics of river beds, chemistry of river water components, biology of river ecosystems, and other components of the natural sciences, ecogeomorphology enables scientists to better understand river systems and therefore contributes to their improvement. The Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California, Davis has used ecogeomorphology to study the watershed issues of several rivers, including the Skeena River in British Columbia, the Scott River in northern …show more content…
These include gaps in understanding at the interface between disciplines and the development of discipline-specific view points, assumptions, definitions, lexicons and methods. These consequences may cause confusion because attempts to produce an interdisciplinary outcome tend to remain dominated by the paradigms familiar to component disciplines. A specific example in which an interdisciplinary approach to the natural sciences has led to disaster is within the field of medicine in the 1960s, when the drug thalidomide was prescribed to pregnant women for morning sickness. Due to a phenomenon in chemistry called stereoisomerism, the manufactured drug formed two molecular structures, known as enantiomers. While one enantiomer was therapeutic, the other caused severe malformations in the foetus. In this case, the phenomenon of stereoisomerism was not taken into account when applying an idea from chemistry to a biological situation, causing "confusion" and ultimately tragedy. In this case, a multidisciplinary approach to a problem did not have the intended effect. It is therefore clear, that while the strong ties between disciplines in the natural sciences make interdisciplinary approaches fruitful, their
The scientific method, which has been used to create every scientific theory in existence, depends first on the scientist's observations and then his reasoning to draw conclusions from the observations made. In addition, within all the natural sciences, theories and ideas must conform to certain scientific facts or laws. As a result, the different disciplines within the natural sciences are closely linked. In many cases, this has led to interdisciplinary approaches. It is common to see scientists from different departments working together to create an innovation or solve a problem and in a majority of cases, this has led to success. An excellent example of this is ecogeomorphology, where the scientific disciplines of hydrology, geomorphology, ecology, chemistry, and engineering are brought together to solve environmental problems in river systems. By combining principles from the geophysics of river beds, chemistry of river water components, biology of river ecosystems, and other components of the natural sciences, ecogeomorphology enables scientists to better understand river systems and therefore contributes to their improvement. The Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California, Davis has used ecogeomorphology to study the watershed issues of several rivers, including the Skeena River in British Columbia, the Scott River in northern …show more content…
These include gaps in understanding at the interface between disciplines and the development of discipline-specific view points, assumptions, definitions, lexicons and methods. These consequences may cause confusion because attempts to produce an interdisciplinary outcome tend to remain dominated by the paradigms familiar to component disciplines. A specific example in which an interdisciplinary approach to the natural sciences has led to disaster is within the field of medicine in the 1960s, when the drug thalidomide was prescribed to pregnant women for morning sickness. Due to a phenomenon in chemistry called stereoisomerism, the manufactured drug formed two molecular structures, known as enantiomers. While one enantiomer was therapeutic, the other caused severe malformations in the foetus. In this case, the phenomenon of stereoisomerism was not taken into account when applying an idea from chemistry to a biological situation, causing "confusion" and ultimately tragedy. In this case, a multidisciplinary approach to a problem did not have the intended effect. It is therefore clear, that while the strong ties between disciplines in the natural sciences make interdisciplinary approaches fruitful, their