Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities

Topical meta-synthesis and critical review of interdisciplinary research on futures studies

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

M. Taheri Demneh 1
A. Zackery 1
A. Asadnia 2

1 Assistant Professor of foresight, Department of Industrial Engineering and futures studies, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

2 Ph.D in Knowledge and Information Science, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22035/isih.2022.4817.4719
Abstract
The movement from intra-disciplinary toward inter-disciplinary approaches by focusing on real-world problems is a growing trend in higher education. Thus, next generation universities will move toward inter-disciplinary discourses. In the meantime, systematic studies of futures or futures studies have also been considered by academics in various fields. In this qualitative meta-synthesis, an attempt is made to investigate the status of future-oriented studies in various disciplines in order to map the distribution these studies. Through a rigorous selection process, 737 articles were chosen and categorized into 19 main categories and 350 secondary categories which were correspondingly classified under more detailed sub-categories. The results indicate that geographical planning, security, and corporate foresight have had the highest application of futures studies. By contrast, sports, women’s studies and futures of professions had the lowest number of articles.  This paper highlights the conspicuous gaps in future-oriented interdisciplinary researches along with their strength and weaknesses.

Keywords

futures studies
interdisciplinary
meta-synthesis. Iran
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 22 February 2022
  • Revise Date 19 April 2022
  • Accept Date 05 May 2022

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