Researchers increasingly find themselves working with disciplines other than their own specialism to solve complex issues where science and society intersect. Interdisciplinary research aims to get different fields to jointly find something new, usually a solution to a problem that requires broader expertise than that of researchers from a single field. But solutions don’t appear simply because different disciplines meet in the same room. Experts are trained in their field’s specific language, theories and research practices, and these create barriers in three groups: language, perspective and knowledge. This guide outlines challenges you might meet and provides some practical tips.