This textbook provides the first comprehensive guide to conducting interdisciplinary research specifically designed for philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE) and related programs such as politics, psychology, law, and economics (PPLE), and Human, social, and political sciences (HSPS), addressing the critical gap in teaching materials for these growing fields.

Building on prior interdisciplinary education literature, this textbook provides a guide for conducting interdisciplinary research on societal challenges central to these study programs. It begins with an introduction emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary integration for a more comprehensive understanding of today’s challenges, followed by a six-step interdisciplinary research method to systematically integrate insights while addressing challenges unique to PPE-like programs. The remaining chapters focus on applications to key issues in these fields, such as emancipation, polarization, digitalization, and international cooperation.

Aimed at undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in PPE, PPLE, HSPS, and similar interdisciplinary programs that combine humanities and social sciences, this book is a valuable tool for instructors teaching in these programs seeking structured pedagogical resources. It will also be suitable for researchers and academics interested in interdisciplinary methodologies for addressing complex societal problems.

Jan Pieter Beetz is Assistant Professor in Political Theory and European Integration at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. His research focuses on the integration of empirical and normative reflection in political theory and the challenges to a democratic EU in the 21st century.

Selin Dilli is Associate Professor of Economic and Social History at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Her research examines how changes in institutional and structural conditions have influenced gender (in)equality in outcomes such as health, politics, household roles, work, and female entrepreneurship throughout the long 20th century.