Converging Disciplines

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxii

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2. An Introduction to Transdisciplinary Research

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Introducing a Transdisciplinary Approach to Applied Urban Health Research

      • Patricia O’Campo, Maritt Kirst, Nicole Schaefer-McDaniel, Stephen Hwang

      Pages 3-11

   3. Benefits and Challenges of Transdisciplinary Research for Urban Health Researchers

      • Nicole Schaefer-McDaniel, Allison N. Scott

      Pages 13-22

   4. In Search of Empowering Health Research for Marginalized Populations in Urban Settings: The Value of a Transdisciplinary Approach

      • Maritt Kirst, Jason Altenberg, Raffi Balian

      Pages 23-37

3. Examples of Transdisciplinary Research

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 39-39

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   2. Reducing Health Disparities Experienced by Refugees Resettled in Urban Areas: A Community-Based Transdisciplinary Intervention Model

      • Jessica R. Goodkind, Ann Githinji, Brian Isakson

      Pages 41-55

   3. The Street Health Report 2007: Community-Based Research for Social Change

      • Erika Khandor, Kate Mason

      Pages 57-68

   4. Safety as a Social Value: Revisiting a Participatory Case Study in Scotland

      • Helen Roberts, Susan J. Smith, Betty Campbell, Cathy Rice

      Pages 69-80

4. The Process of Transdisciplinary Research

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 81-81

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   2. Methodological Notes on Conducting Transdisciplinary Research

      • Patricia G. Erickson, Jennifer E. Butters

      Pages 83-95

   3. Collaborative Processes in Transdisciplinary Research

      • Shalini Misra, Kara Hall, Annie Feng, Brooke Stipelman, Daniel Stokols

      Pages 97-110

   4. From Complex Problems to Complex Problem-Solving: Transdisciplinary Practice as Knowledge Translation

      • Kelly Murphy, Beverly Wolfus, Aisha Lofters

      Pages 111-129

5. Moving Forward

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 131-131

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   2. Transdisciplinary Training in Health Research: Distinctive Features and Future Directions

      • Shalini Misra, Daniel Stokols, Kara Hall, Annie Feng

      Pages 133-147

   3. Funding Agencies and Transdisciplinary Research

      • Joy L. Johnson, Sharon Hrynkow

      Pages 149-160

   4. Moving Forward: The Future of Transdisciplinary Health Research

      • Maritt Kirst, Nicole Schaefer-McDaniel, Stephen Hwang, Patricia O’Campo

      Pages 161-167

6. Back Matter

   Pages 169-172

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As urban populations grow, new health problems evolve in tandem with longstanding issues. And as a welter of social, environmental, and access factors further complicate the picture, workable solutions require increasingly sophisticated understanding and innovative methods—generally beyond the scope of one professional field. Converging Disciplines introduces the concept of transdisciplinary research as a multidimensional, research-to-practice approach to urban health issues, not only bringing researchers together but also linking stakeholders, from practitioners to policymakers to community members. This immediately accessible volume differentiates transdisciplinary research from multi- and interdisciplinary strategies, as well as from popular community-based models, and brings a uniquely North American set of perspectives to the concept. Chapter authors explore the theory behind the methods as well as their application in meeting chronic problems (e.g., domestic violence, substance abuse) and working with vulnerable populations (e.g., homeless individuals, refugees) in ways that are ecologically based, ethically sound, and eminently practical. Key areas of coverage: Benefits and challenges of transdisciplinary research in the urban health setting. Transdisciplinary research process, including methodologies, collaboration, and information sharing. Detailed case examples of transdisciplinary research used in addressing health issues among marginalized urban populations. An overview of training programs in the U.S. and Canada. The view from funding agencies. Preparing the university, researchers, and the job market for a transdisciplinary future researchers and graduate students in urban and public health will find inspiring reading in Converging Disciplines: a bold framework for transforming their fields, and the tools for meeting the new generation of urban health challenges.

• research design
• research methods
• transdisciplinarity

• Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, Toronto, Canada

  Maritt Kirst

• Centre for Research on Inner City Health, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada

  Nicole Schaefer-McDaniel

• St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada

  Stephen Hwang, Patricia O'Campo

Maritt Kirst is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Research on Inner City Health, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada. Nicole Schaefer-McDaniel is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Research on Inner City Health, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada. Stephen Hwang is a Research Scientist at the Centre for Research on Inner City Health, St. Michael's Hospital, an Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Public Health Sciences, and Health Policy, at the University of Toronto and Director of the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Toronto, Canada. Patricia O’Campo is Alma and Baxter Ricard Chair in Inner City Health and Director of the Centre for Research on Inner City Health at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. She is also Professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Toronto and Adjunct Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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