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Abstract

Interdisciplinary legal research, in which non-legal data are combined with legal data, is a fairly new branch of legal scholarship in the Netherlands. Although it improves the possibilities to measure the effectiveness of legal instruments, it also raises numerous methodological questions, such as a lack of matching empirical data and the translation of legal concepts in socio-empirical terms. Both the pros and cons of the interdisciplinary research method will be addressed and illustrated on the basis of family law research which incorporates socio-empirical data. There are, however, no simple solutions to the pitfalls, but to create awareness of the potential problems may contribute to a better research design and, in the end, to better results.

Keywords: interdisciplinary research ,   legal methodology ,   empirical data ,   family law  

How to Cite: Schrama, W., (2011). How to carry out interdisciplinary legal research
Some experiences with an interdisciplinary research method. Utrecht Law Review. 7(1), pp.147–162. DOI: http://doi.org/10.18352/ulr.152