- dis cipl ine ▁means ▁an ▁organiz ational ▁unit ▁that ▁involves ▁two ▁or ▁more ▁academic ▁discipl ines , ▁but ▁which ▁have ▁the ▁formal ▁criteria ▁of ▁discipl ines ▁such ▁as ▁dedicated ▁research ▁journ als , ▁con ferences ▁and ▁university ▁depart ments . ▁It ▁is ▁related ▁to ▁inter dis cipl inar ity , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁n oun ▁used ▁for ▁a ▁certain ▁kind ▁of ▁unit ▁( ac ade mic ▁discipline ). ▁As ▁shown ▁in ▁the ▁example ▁of ▁dem ography ▁below ▁a ▁field ▁may ▁be ▁both ▁a ▁discipline ▁and ▁an ▁inter dis cipl ine ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time . ▁ ▁The ▁example ▁of ▁Information ▁science ▁demonstr ates ▁that ▁a ▁field ▁may ▁be ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁discipline ▁in ▁some ▁countries ▁but ▁an ▁inter dis cipl ine ▁in ▁other ▁countries . ▁ ▁Con ception s ▁G iese cke ▁( 1 9 8 1 ) ▁says ▁about ▁educational ▁research ▁(" P ed ag ogy ") ▁that ▁is ▁an ▁" apor etic ▁science ", ▁i . e . ▁an ▁inter dis cipl ine . ▁ ▁T eng ström ▁( 1 9 9 3 ) ▁em ph ases ▁that ▁cross - dis cipl inary ▁research ▁is ▁a ▁process , ▁not ▁a ▁state ▁or ▁structure . ▁He ▁differenti ates ▁three ▁levels ▁of ▁amb ition ▁regarding ▁cross - dis cipl inary ▁research : ▁ ▁The ▁pl ur id is cipl inary ▁or ▁mult id is cipl inar ity ▁level ▁The ▁genu ine ▁cross - dis cipl inary ▁level : ▁inter dis cipl inar ity ▁The ▁discipline - form ing ▁level ▁trans dis