PolicyGrid II - supporting interdisciplinary evidence bases for scientific collaboration & policy making

Exploring integrative research approaches is now widely recognised as essential in understanding the significant challenges facing society. Narrow discipline-based research can only focus on understanding sub-systems of our world rather than providing the holistic understanding required in order to address major issues and problems, eg the interplay between human welfare and environmental quality. The PolicyGrid-II Research Node of the National Centre for eSocial Science will investigate the challenges surrounding development of eScience tools to support interdisciplinary research teams. Aims of the Node are as follows: To understand the extent to which the level of complexity in interdisciplinary applications determine approaches to communication and joint goal setting in interdisciplinary work. To understand how theoretical and practical solutions to support interdisciplinary work, both academic and policy-related, can be developed to support future research. To demonstrate that eSocial Science solutions can be deployed to support various facets of integrative research through the development of appropriate tools. To promote awareness of the Semantic Grid vision and supporting technologies amongst social scientists, and to facilitate training through workshops, etc. foster interdisciplinary research between social and computer scientists. Media Of output - Online. Library classified under Science, Technology and Social Sciences.