Selected publications and networks on inter- and transdisciplinary research, integration methods, and collaborative science. Compiled May 2026.
Integration expertise
Foundational texts and research on what ITD integration is, who does it, and what makes it a distinct form of expertise — not generic coordination or facilitation.
Paper · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · 2022 · Open access
Hoffmann, Deutsch, Thompson Klein & O'Rourke. Argues that despite integration being the central challenge of ITD research, academia offers no recognised career path for the people who do it. Proposes four concrete remedies.
DOI: 10.1057/s41599-022-01138-zPaper · Sustainability Science · 2025 · Open access
Deutsch et al. Identifies six core leadership challenges in ITD programmes and makes an empirical case that leading this work is a specialist skill — not generic research management.
DOI: 10.1007/s11625-024-01585-4Paper · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · 2024 · Open access
Laursen, Vienni-Baptista, Bammer et al. Identifies "toolkitting" — the creation and adaptation of practical methods for ITD work — as a distinct, undervalued form of expertise. Connects toolkit development to the broader challenge of overcoming fragmentation in inter- and transdisciplinary research.
DOI: 10.1057/s41599-024-03279-9Paper · PNAS · 2024 · Open access
Berkes, Marion, Milojević & Weinberg. Analyses 154,021 biomedical PhD holders over four decades showing that the most interdisciplinary researchers leave publishing earliest — quantitative evidence that careers actively select against boundary-crossers.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2402646121Paper · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · 2025 · Open access
Pohl et al. Develops and validates a 25-item scale for assessing how well transdisciplinary methods support knowledge integration, tested empirically across research workshops. A practical tool for teams designing ITD processes.
DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05634-wPaper · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · 2025 · Open access
Hoffmann et al. Zooms in on extra-academic integrative expertise — the practitioners, policy brokers, and facilitators who do integration work outside universities. Broadens the field's understanding of who integrators are and where they operate.
DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-04661-xGeneral resources & toolboxes
The main hubs for ongoing research, methods, and community around ITD and integration — including toolkits that bridge theory and day-to-day practice.
Network · Global
The global network for inter- and transdisciplinary research. Organises working groups, curates journals, conferences, and handbooks, and connects institutions and individuals working on ITD theory and practice.
itd-alliance.orgBlog · Weekly · Free
A global, open, peer-curated blog publishing weekly contributions on concepts, methods, and frameworks for tackling complex problems through research. The most actively maintained practical resource in the field.
i2insights.orgToolkit · Free
Twenty tested tools for co-producing knowledge in transdisciplinary research, covering the full project lifecycle. Bridges abstract integration frameworks and day-to-day facilitation practice.
Open toolboxProject · EU Horizon 2020
EU Horizon 2020 project producing toolkits and policy briefs for integrating Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences into interdisciplinary research in European settings.
shapeidtoolkit.euToolkit · EWUU Alliance · Free
A practical toolkit developed by the EWUU Alliance for setting up and facilitating unusual — cross-sector, cross-disciplinary — collaborations. Covers tools and methods for the full collaboration lifecycle.
Open toolkitToolkit · Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research · Free
A hands-on guide to integrated research concepts and techniques — covering what integrated research is, when to use it, foundational methods, team dynamics, and a Kaupapa Māori approach to integration and transdisciplinary research.
Open toolkit