[Interdisciplinarity of Spanish cardiovascular research teams]

The incidence of interdisciplinarity (ID) in Spanish cardiovascular research teams was analyzed and scientists' opinions about interdisciplinary relationships were examined.

The data analyzed were obtained in a survey sent in 1999 to a sample of 310 researchers. They were selected using bibliometric techniques and/or for being research project leaders in recent years.

The response rate was 61%. Data were obtained from 130 research teams located mainly in Madrid and Catalonia. Teams doing clinical research (81%) and those working in hospitals (64%) predominated. Different facets of the interdisciplinary nature of the teams were analyzed: scientist training, team composition, behavior patterns, collaboration, and publication and reading habits. A high ID was observed in the area: more than 70% of the teams are interdisciplinary according to the training of scientists, around 80% make use of knowledge or techniques from other disciplines, and around 90% read and publish in journals outside their own disciplines. Basic research teams had a higher ID than clinical ones. A total of 37 highly interdisciplinary teams were identified. These teams had a greater tendency towards collaboration.

Interdisciplinary reading and publishing habits were the norm among Spanish researchers, even in single-discipline groups. The scattered nature of teams, their high rate of external collaborations, and the multidisciplinary context of centers enhance interdisciplinary relationships. Administrative barriers do not seem to be a major obstacle to establishing interdisciplinary contacts.