Interdisciplinary Research Maps: A new technique for visualizing research topics.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Business and Management

Background:

• Interdisciplinary research is crucial for addressing complex global challenges such as climate change.
• Business/management and environmental science fields have faced criticism for insufficient interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Bridging these fields can foster novel insights and solutions for environmental issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce Interdisciplinary Research Maps as a novel visualization technique.
• Demonstrate the application of this mapping approach to analyze research topics across disciplines.
• Facilitate the exploration of similarities and differences in research across fields.

Main Methods:

• The technique is based on entity linking for topic identification.
• A sample of articles from top business/management and environmental science journals was analyzed.
• Visualization methods were employed to map common and distinct research topics.

Main Results:

• The study illustrates how Interdisciplinary Research Maps can identify shared and unique topics between business/management and environmental science.
• The mapping approach provides a foundation for understanding cross-disciplinary research landscapes.
• Potential for identifying common concepts to bridge disciplinary divides was demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• Interdisciplinary Research Maps offer a valuable tool for research analytics and visualization.
• The technique has broad applicability for facilitating knowledge exchange across diverse scientific fields.
• Identifying common concepts is key to fostering interdisciplinary research and innovation.