Points of integration
A high-level view of how knowledge and expertise might get integrated during different project phases.
Sometimes it is not easy to grasp exactly what integration might look like in a project, making it difficult to plan for. Here are six points in a project where integration might occur, from agreeing on frameworks to integrated outputs, and some examples of what that integration might look like in practice.
| Integration phase | Example |
|---|---|
| Agreeing on frameworks or concepts | "We needed to weave together the world views of soil scientists, Māori researchers and farmers..." |
| Using different knowledge sources | "...this drew on soil fieldwork, academic literature, matauranga Māori, and local farm knowledge." |
| Asking integrated research questions | "We soon realised that meaningfully answering 'How does New Zealand build soil health?' relies on multiple disciplines and perspectives." |
| Using integrated methods, assessments and models | "Part of the project involved bringing together aspects of farmer assessments and traditional soil science methods into a new approach." |
| Collective interpretation of results | "Having farmers, Māori researchers and scientists all making sense of the results brought fresh insights..." |
| Integrated outputs (e.g. products) | "...and ensured the research was relevant to a wider range of audiences." |
More information
Methods for integration in transdisciplinary research, Integration and Implementation Insights.
