Choi and Pak examine the concepts of multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, and transdisciplinarity in health research, services, education, and policy. They clarify differences: multidisciplinarity involves parallel contributions from disciplines, interdisciplinarity integrates them into a coherent whole, and transdisciplinarity transcends boundaries by combining sciences within a broader humanities context. The paper highlights the objectives and benefits of these approaches in tackling complex health issues, while also noting their challenges. The authors recommend using “multiple disciplinary” as a general term when the type of collaboration is unspecified.

Choi, B. C. K., and A. W. Pak. 2006. “Multidisciplinarity, Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity in Health Research, Services, Education and Policy: 1. Definitions, Objectives, and Evidence of Effectiveness.” Clinical and Investigative Medicine 29 (6): 351–364.