To practice something in an interdisciplinary fashion is to refuse to be categorized, for some. In a more strict academic sense, interdisciplinarity is the use in research of materials outside one's established field in order to make some contribution to any and all fields from which one draws. Ideally, this is done in such a manner as to weaken the arbitrary boundaries created between fields, broadening the possibilities for exploration of all fields.

The interdisciplinary approach is favored by postmodernists for its emphasis on non-linearity, interconnectedness, and inclusiveness.