[Interdisciplinarity in action: "trap-words" in interdisciplinary research]

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Epidemiology
• Health Disparities Research

Context:

• Interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial for addressing Social Inequalities in Health (SIH).
• The AAPRISS programme highlighted practical difficulties in interdisciplinary work, particularly semantic misunderstandings.
• Variations in term definitions across disciplines and English dialects (British vs. US) created communication barriers.

Purpose:

• To identify and define
• trap-words
• that cause misunderstandings in interdisciplinary health research.
• To develop a glossary that clarifies diverse meanings of key terms, rather than imposing a single definition.
• To facilitate co-construction and enhance collaboration among researchers from different fields.

Summary:

• Researchers identified terms causing confusion, such as 'politique, programme, projet et intervention', 'impact', 'ressortissant, public cible, population cible, bénéficiaire, et communauté', 'inégalités sociales de santé, disparités et iniquités', and 'protocole'.
• Definitions were compiled from participating researchers and literature reviews.
• Five sets of terms were defined to address semantic ambiguities.

Impact:

• The developed glossary supports interdisciplinary co-construction in health research.
• This initiative prompts reflection on the complexities and benefits of interdisciplinary research.
• Improved terminological clarity can enhance the effectiveness of projects aimed at reducing Social Inequalities in Health.