Model Transfer as a Case of Interdisciplinary Research in Science

Scientific research is highly specialized, yet modern science increasingly involves interdisciplinary interactions. One key aspect of this is the transfer of models across domains, raising questions about how such transfers relate to successful interdisciplinary research. This chapter examines processes of model transfer, particularly the movement of mathematical models between fields, as instances of research across disciplines that occur alongside increasing specialization. Model transfer processes are manifold in that models from some source domain undergo different kinds of modification processes in order to become applicable in a new domain. We sketch a taxonomy of different modification procedures that enable cross-domain model transfer. The goal is to learn from model transfer something about the different ways in which interdisciplinarity manifests itself in a highly specialized scientific landscape.