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    Scholarly motivations to conduct interdisciplinary climate change research

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    Date Issued
    2017-06
    Publisher Version
    10.1007/s13412-015-0307-z
    Author(s)
    Milman, Anita
    Bolson, Jessica
    Marston, John M.
    Godsey, Sarah E.
    Jones, Holly P.
    Weiler, C. Susan
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    Embargoed until:
    Indefinite
    Permanent Link
    https://hdl.handle.net/2144/24689
    Citation (published version)
    Anita Milman, John M Marston, Sarah E Godsey, Jessica Bolson, Holly P Jones, C Susan Weiler. 2017. "Scholarly motivations to conduct interdisciplinary climate change research." Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, v. 7, Issue 2, pp. 239 - 250.
    Abstract
    Understanding and responding to today’s complex environmental problems requires collaboration that bridges disciplinary boundaries. As the barriers to interdisciplinary research are formidable, promoting interdisciplinary environmental research requires understanding what motivates researchers to embark upon such challenging research. This article draws upon research on problem choice and interdisciplinary research practice to investigate motivators and barriers to interdisciplinary climate change (IDCC) research. Results from a survey on the motivations of 526 Ph.D.-holding, early- to mid-career, self-identified IDCC scholars indicate how those scholars make decisions regarding their research choices including the role of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and the barriers arising from the nature of interdisciplinary research and institutional structures. Climate change was not the main motivation for most respondents to become scholars, yet the majority began to study the issue because they could not ignore the problem. Respondents’ decisions to conduct IDCC research are driven by personal motivations, including personal interest, the importance of IDCC research to society, and enjoyment of interdisciplinary collaborations. Two thirds of respondents reported having encountered challenges in communication across disciplines, longer timelines while conducting interdisciplinary work, and a lack of peer support. Nonetheless, most respondents plan to conduct IDCC research in the future and will choose their next research project based on its societal benefits and the opportunity to work with specific collaborators. We conclude that focused attention to supporting intrinsic motivations, as well as removing institutional barriers, can facilitate future IDCC research.
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