Page 2 - Interdisciplinary Approach to Research

Dr. Cosmas U. Nwokeafor
Dean Graduate School
Bowie State University
Center for Business and Graduate Studies
Suite 1312
Bowie MD 20715
301-860-3406
301-860-3414 (fax)
cnwokeafor@bowiestate.edu

INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO RESEARCH: A CRITICAL VIEW OF ITS
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES IN A SCHOLARLY ENTERPRISE

Interdisciplinary research approach comprises of a combination of two or more academic
disciplines within academics in the format of research projects to describe studies that use
methods and insights of several established disciplines or traditional fields of study. It involves
scholars from diverse content specialty, connecting and integrating several academic schools of
thought, professions, or technologies along with their specific perspective in the advancement of
a common fact finding tasks. This type of research approach is applied where various subject
areas of interest and fact finding are felt to have been neglected or even misrepresented in the
traditional disciplinary structure of research engagements which is applied to complex subjects
that can only be understood by the combination of perspectives of two or more fields of study.
This paper in an attempt to clarify the essence of the usage of diverse knowledge areas to bring
about an enhanced way of solving challenging issues, referenced Gardy & Brinkman (2003)
study of the benefits of interdisciplinary research described their experience with pathogen
bioinformatics as an area in which traditional microbiology and computer science intersect in the
study of a variety of infectious diseases. The epidemiology of AIDS, environmental study such
as global warming, ethnicity and women’s study requires a combination of perspectives from
diverse disciplines. These type of research approach is all about creating new ideas by thinking
outside the box across boundaries, and navigating beyond traditional lines between academic
disciplines or schools of thought to lead to the emergence of new needs and professions. The
conclusion of this paper presents the need to melding several specialties to give way to new
thinking, creative innovations and ideologies.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Cosmas U. Nwokeafor is currently the Dean of Graduate School at Bowie State University. He
received his BA at Howard University in 1986, his MA from Howard University in 1990 and his
doctorate in Mass Communication from Howard University in 1992. His career at Bowie State
University traversed through classroom teaching to serving as an Assistant Dean and the Dean of
the College of Arts and Sciences respectively, Department Chair, Assistant Provost and currently
is the President Elect of the Council of Historically Black Graduate Schools (CHBGS) in
America. Dr. Nwokeafor holds the rank of full Professor and has published nine books.