A brief survey of the literature on interdisciplinary work and a discussion of issues
relating to orthodoxy and heresy are presented to introduce a questionnaire on current
interdisciplinary practice and the effects of engaging in research of this kind. Preliminary
results of the survey are presented and it is suggested that women may have a greater
tendency than men to engage in interdisciplinary research. They may also encounter more
obstacles in their research than men. A number of hypotheses, including the relationship of
interdisciplinary work and heresy, are proposed and a plan of further work to investigate them
put forward
