This paper discusses how to go about designing an interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary research project or programme, with ZEF’s research initiative on ‘water pollution and human health’ in India as the background of the presentation. A summary is given of Pohl and Hirsch Hadorn’s main arguments regarding ‘design principles’ for inter- and transdisciplinary research, and the basic tools they have developed for this are discussed in the context of ZEF’s ‘water pollution and human health’ research initiative.
Some of the learning’s of the paper are -
The paper aims to spark discussion and further thinking on how the ‘water pollution and health’ research initiative, and by implication, other research efforts, might be designed and implemented as an interdisciplinary and possibly transdisciplinary project, by identifying what issues need to be addressed in such a process.