ASPO Abstracts
Does career stage or research group influence change in attitudes towards and behaviors of transdisciplinary research? A longitudinal study of the Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer Initiative
Category: Lifestyles Behavior, Energy Balance & Chemoprevention, Cancer Health Disparities
Conference Year: 2018
Abstract Body:
Purpose: Transdisciplinary research initiatives serve as an alternative to unidisciplinary approaches to address complex public health problems such as tobacco use, energetics, and health disparities and their relationship to cancer. In this study, we will assess change in attitudes towards and behaviors of transdisciplinary (TD) research over time of investigators in the Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC) II Initiative. Methods: Changes over time in attitudes towards collaboration, TD research, and changes in participation in TD activities were measured on a Likert scale at four time points between 2011-2015. We analyzed the data using an interrupted time series design in which investigators were nested within their respective TREC Centers. Changes were assessed by TREC Center as well as academic title (e.g., professor, associate professor, assistant professor, research associate/fellow). Results: We hypothesize that each TREC II Research Center’s unique design (e.g. co- or single-directorship, presence or lack of project manager, advisory boards, participation in TREC-wide meetings) will influence attitudes towards TD research and participation in TD activities, such that Centers that have directed more resources towards the aforementioned infrastructure and TD opportunities will, on the whole, result in improved attitudes and increased participation over time. We also hypothesize that academic title, a proxy for career stage, influences changes in attitudes and participation in TD activities. We expect that professors–who are at the later stages of their career–and research associates/fellows–who are in the early career stage–will demonstrate the greatest improvement in attitudes towards and increase in participation in TD activities over time. Conclusion: Understanding how investigators at different institutions and different career stages within a single transdisciplinary initiative perceive TD research and engage in TD activities over time can assist in planning and management of TD research projects.
Keywords: Transdiscplinary; Evaluation;Research outcomes