Work

Interdisciplinary risks – a delicate balance between trust and critical review

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: We argue that the subject matter and objectives of risk science establish it as an inherently interdisciplinary field, closely connected to both academic disciplines and practical applications. However, risk research faces a range of interdisciplinary challenges. These include the production of low-quality research—characterised by superficial and insufficiently grounded conclusions—a lack of mutual trust between disciplines, limited understanding of risk research, and cultural, institutional, or epistemological oversimplification. Organisations such as the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) and SRA Europe play a critical role not only in defining the scope of risk research but also in managing its epistemic risks. Effective management of these interdisciplinary challenges can enhance the field’s credibility and increase its appeal to prospective researchers. Therefore, we recommend that contemporary risk researchers actively engage with both risk-related and non-risk disciplines to strengthen the field’s foundations and broaden its impact.

Source: Journal of Risk Research

DOI: 10.1080/13669877.2025.2526473

Authors: Ullrika Sahlin, Henrik Thorén

Institution: Lund University

Language: English

Topic: Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration

Subfield: Information Systems and Management

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas, Institute of Advanced Study, Durham University

Award: Risk, values, and decision-making in the economics of climate change: Towards a deliberative science-policy approach to the integration of diverse values in model-based climate economics