Interdisciplinarity as a multidimensional concept: its measure in three different research areas

Interdisciplinarity is analyzed in three different research areas: pharmaco logy and pharmacy, cardiovascular system and materials science, using data from a survey to Spanish scientists. The study focuses on three complementa ry dimensions: diversity in personal training and research specialization o f scientists; research practices and behavior of the groups; and the cognit ive inputs and outputs of the research activity. Interdisciplinarity emerge s as a double-edged process: of jumping into a new area with people of diff erent disciplines, in coherence with the traditional disciplinary research teams; and of specialization in a field traditionally dominated by a single group of disciplinary backgrounds, in which researchers from different are as join the teams. Thus specialization fragmentation-hybridization all come together.