Some Guidelines for Interdisciplinary Research

Broader research areas that deals with integrative topics (where theoretical insights from
more than one discipline is essential) must be identified by the Department Councils.
Identify specific research areas that might be placed under the broader research areas in
accordance with the available faculty members` research interest. The current academic
relevance and trends may also be considered in choosing the options.
For instance, consider Social Exclusion as a chosen broader research theme. The specific research
area can be Social Exclusion and Emancipatory Politics, a research area where the inquiry of
problems will be drastically incomplete without applying sociological and social welfare episteme;
another specific research area can be social exclusion and the Dalits, a currently relevant topic that
demands not only a sociological anlysis of the issues but also a historical comprehending.
The interdisciplinarity of the specific research areas must be evaluated based on its
methodological and the theoretical underpinings.
These theoretical and methodological underpinnings are throughly discussed through a joint
discussion of the department councils of the concerned disciplines. The most fundamental
concepts, the knowledge of which is necessary for the pursuing of research in the
interdisciplinary research areas are outlined.
Another joint session of the concerned department might work out and formulate a standard
module of coursework syllabus.
Other universities specifies that the students are finally admitted into the PhD program only
of they passed the course work examination conducted in accordance with the syllabus thus
formulated.
These broader themes are clubbed together to form an academic unit often a centre.
The faculty members of the centre are drawn from the concerned departments (Joint
Faculty).
For example to pursue research at Centre for Knowledge, Culture and Innovation
Studies the students must pursue and pass the following courses in the 1 st year of
their admission (2 Semesters)
.
I Semester
Science, Culture and Society
Research Methods
Science, Technology and Innovations
Introduction to Philosophy, History and Sociology of
Science
II Semester
Technology, Culture and Society
Science, Technology and Ethics

Science, Technology in Modern India

Research Related Course
The faculties for the centre are drawn from Sociology, Philosophy and Economics