Strategy for Research Integration/Synthesis

(See also: Needs for Integration/Synthesis of System Studies in Earth Sciences by Dr. Syun-Ichi Akasofu)

In a scientific field, it is common to deal with a system that consists of many elements or subsystems.   All of us engage in a study of system components and their parts. However, at a certain point in time, integration/synthesis (I/S) becomes necessary.  Indeed, when a field succeeds in I/S, it makes a distinct, often epoch-making, progress. In most fields of geophysics, considerable progress has been made in system component studies during the last few decades. Thus, it is worthwhile to make a little more effort to achieve I/S.

A study of individual system elements may be called a discipline here. In the early stage of development of a field, we deal with system components (disciplines). As the field begins to develop and seeks to achieve broader relevance, interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary research begins. As the field begins to mature, I/S becomes the main tool for a system study. Here, integration means to assemble parts (some known and some unknown) in a way similar to constructing a rocket or satellite, while synthesis implies that the assembly may result in something new and unknown, namely, an unexpected product, even a paradigm change. The simplest example of the need for I/S can be explained by using a pencil. One group of researchers finds that a pencil is sharp and hard, but another group finds that it is round and soft. Thus, a controversy naturally erupts. However, I/S can tell both groups that a pencil has two incompatible ends-the point and the eraser-elevating the understanding of the object.

Using the study of the human body as an analogy, individual disciplines may be equivalent to the study of the brain, heart, stomach, etc. A multi-disciplinary study may be considered comparitively to the study of the nervous system, the circulatory system, or the digestive system. However, if one plans to examine how the body responds to overeating, for instance, it is necessary to study the human body as a whole. In our example, the study of global warming, the earth corresponds to the human body and overeating corresponds to the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (Table 1).

Thus, this requires an especially dedicated group to succeed. IARC is established for the I/S of arctic climate change research by the government of both U.S. and Japan, through several agencies, NSF, NOAA, and others , in the U.S. and JAMSTEC, JAXA, NIPRC in Japan.

Both the U.S. and the Japanese groups are jointly working toward the common goal of: Reducing uncertainty in arctic climate change prediction.

Table 1:  Comparison of a study of the Human Body (studying over-eating) and the Earth (studying over-releasing CO₂)