Reflection
Introduction
Day in day out, interdisciplinary research is turning out to be growingly imperative. Interdisciplinary studies are becoming increasingly popular since the institutions of learning from the early childhood to the graduate schools are using the approach (Jones, 2010). There are various benefits of an interdisciplinary approach to students. For instance, Repko (2008) implies that interdisciplinarity is crucial in making the upcoming professionals ready for complex problems and behaviors they will face within a profession. It is worth noting that I have already proven the above assertion by Repko. My current Capstone Project has undoubtedly improved my thinking horizons, and I can now handle some problems that I could not handle before. The process of establishing the focus question or problem statement for the Capstone Project was a nice experience as it involved investigating different disciplinary viewpoints. When determining my theme, I was in a position to achieve new results that I would not have achieved otherwise. This paper summarizes my revolving experiences of performing a literature review for the Capstone Project.
Carrying out a literature review for my Capstone Project has been extremely beneficial to me as I have gained essential lifelong learning skills. In essence, the interdisciplinary techniques that I have been utilizing when performing the literature review have enriched my lifelong academic skills, learning habits, and personal growth. What’s more, my experiences of carrying out a literature review for the Capstone project have built the foundation of the interdisciplinary techniques that I believe will lead to a professional future of both discovery and innovation. In particular, I have developed critical thinking skills that will prepare me for any future complex problems within my profession. Additionally, the entire process has expanded my understanding as well as achievement between disciplines besides improving my communication skills. The interdisciplinary approaches were imperative throughout the literature review process as they made me independent and confident, and this made me develop additional learning skills just as Rhoten (2004) affirms.
As I go on to IDST 4081 Capstone, I would like to refine steps 4and 6. I would like to improve my literature search by researching more about the topic. Refining this step will make me discover more knowledge about the topic from different disciplines since I think that the knowledge is not sufficient. In addition, refining this step will justify more the reason for the interdisciplinary research. In step 6, I would like to improve my analysis of the problem from each relevant discipline perspective. Furthermore, I would evaluate each theory by comprehensively shifting from one perspective to the other and moving from one discipline to the other as suggested by Repko (2008). In improving or widening my scope, I will initially identify potential improvements and search for additional information from more sources. As my research developed, my focus question or problem statement narrowed down. The focus question became relevant, manageable, interesting, clear, and simple. The changes were as a result of viewing it through one lens and breaking down the initial variables into smaller parts that I analyzed more precisely. Conclusively, my experiences of performing a literature review have developed my cognitive abilities. In essence, my capacity to comprehend multiple perspectives on any topic has increased. My appreciation of differences between various disciplines on the way to approach various problems has also developed as a result of performing the literature review for the Capstone Project.
References
Jones, C. (2010). Interdisciplinary Approach-Advantages, disadvantages, and the future benefits of interdisciplinary studies. ESSAI, 7(1), 26.
Repko, A. F. (2012). Interdisciplinary research: Process and theory. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Rhoten, D. (2004). Interdisciplinary research: Trend or transition. Items and Issues, 5(1-2), 6-11.
