Interdisciplinary Theory, Methods, and Approaches for Hazards and Disaster Research: An Introduction to the Special Issue

What is interdisciplinary research? Why is it vital to the advancement of the field of hazards and disaster research? What theory, methods, and approaches are fundamental to interdisciplinary research projects and their applications? This article addresses these and other pressing questions by taking stock of recent advancements in interdisciplinary studies of hazards and disasters. It also introduces the special issue of Risk Analysis, which includes this introductory article and 25 original perspectives papers meant to highlight new trends and applications in the field. The papers were written following two National Science Foundation-supported workshops that were organized in response to the growing interest in interdisciplinary hazards and disaster research, the increasing number of interdisciplinary funding opportunities and collaborations in the field, and the need for more rigorous guidance for interdisciplinary researchers and research teams. This introductory article and the special collection are organized around the cross-cutting themes of theory, methods, approaches, interdisciplinary research projects, and applications to advance interdisciplinarity in hazards and disaster research.

Automated summary

Interdisciplinary research plays a vital role in advancing the field of hazards and disaster research by integrating theories, methods, and approaches to address pressing questions. This article discusses recent advancements in interdisciplinary studies in this field and introduces a special issue of Risk Analysis, featuring original perspective papers highlighting new trends and applications. The special collection is organized around cross-cutting themes to promote interdisciplinarity and provide guidance for researchers and research teams.