2. Define the Research Problem (Step 1)
State the interdisciplinary research problem you are researching. The problem statement should be clear, define the scope of the problem, and include context explaining why it is important to investigate the problem. You should revise your problem statement based on the instructor’s feedback on your Research Proposal and Literature Search assignment.
3. Critically Analyze the Disciplines Insights Into the Problem (Step 5)
Your draft of Step 5 will include two parts: presenting disciplinary insights and identifying conflict and agreement between insights.
a. Present Disciplinary Insights
Explain each relevant disciplines overall approach to the problem (3 pages per discipline) based on your research (discuss one discipline at a time). You must support your writing with evidence from all of your sources related to that specific discipline. Your analysis should be based on the insights produced in each of the sources from your literature search.
Read your sources carefully and look for what the author discusses as:
- the scope and magnitude of the problem
- causes of the problem
- effects of the problem
- solutions to the problem
- theories related to this problem
This strategy will help you discuss each disciplines insights about the problem. You may discuss other findings as well.
B. Identify Conflict and Agreement Between Insights
After presenting each discipline’s perspective on, and important insights into, the problem, summarize conflict and/or agreement between insights (approximately 200 – 300 words). Sources must be incorporated and appropriately paraphrased and cited. Refer to Chapter 12 pages 309-322 in the Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies text for descriptions and examples of this step.
4. Reference Page
Provide an APA-formatted reference page of all sources used in your assignment. Remember that four sources must be peer-reviewed sources and the remaining two (or more) sources may be trade, government, book, or other appropriate sources. All sources should be current and published within the past 10 years.
