The Research Derby: A potentially important tool for bridging interdisciplinary boundaries

Abstract

In their paper, Favaro et al. (2013) introduce a novel approach to collaborative scientific research. The ‘Research Derby’ (Favaro et al. 2013) is a highintensity, 24-hour workshop with the ambitious aim for participating teams to present a paper, which with minimal further effort, will be fit for publication. Whilst it is an ambitious target, it is also achievable, and an example is provided of a publication (Phillis et al. 2013) that came as a direct result of the inaugural Research Derby, held at Simon Fraser University, Canada in 2011. Interdisciplinary research, described here as all types of crossings between or among disciplines (Lele and Norgaard 2005), for the purposes of conservation has been much called for over the last decade or so (Mascia et al. 2003). This has mostly resulted from a realisation that attempts to mitigate global impacts such as climate change and biodiversity loss require collaboration across disciplines (Hicks et al. 2010). Other examples can be found in ecological research within the urban landscape, which necessarily fuses the natural and social sciences (Mcintyre et al. 2000, Lowe et al. 2009). It is also recognised that collaboration amongst disciplines can encourage creativity and encourage novel thought processes and ideas (McWilliam et al. 2008). However, numerous commentaries have expressed needs that must be met in order to carry out successful interdisciplinary research (e.g. Campbell 2005, Fox et al. 2006, McWilliam et al. 2008, Lowe and Phillipson 2009, Hicks et al. 2010). How a Research Derby can help meet these needs is now discussed. The potential for a Research Derby to encourage interdisciplinary research