  Empirical software engineering has received much attention in recent years
and coined the shift from a more design-science-driven engineering discipline
to an insight-oriented, and theory-centric one. Yet, we still face many
challenges, among which some increase the need for interdisciplinary research.
This is especially true for the investigation of human-centric aspects of
software engineering. Although we can already observe an increased recognition
of the need for more interdisciplinary research in (empirical) software
engineering, such research configurations come with challenges barely discussed
from a scientific point of view. In this position paper, we critically reflect
upon the epistemological setting of empirical software engineering and
elaborate its configuration as an Interdiscipline. In particular, we (1)
elaborate a pragmatic view on empirical research for software engineering
reflecting a cyclic process for knowledge creation, (2) motivate a path towards
symmetrical interdisciplinary research, and (3) adopt five rules of thumb from
other interdisciplinary collaborations in our field before concluding with new
emerging challenges. This shall support stopping to treating empirical software
engineering as a developing discipline moving towards a paradigmatic stage of
normal science, but as a configuration of symmetric interdisciplinary teams and
research methods.
