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Collaborative research across disciplinary and organizational boundaries

Publication ,  Journal Article
Cummings, JN; Kiesler, S
Published in: Social Studies of Science
October 31, 2005

Scientific and engineering research increasingly involves multidisciplinary collaboration, sometimes across multiple organizations. Technological advances have made such cross-boundary projects possible, yet they can carry high coordination costs. This study investigated scientific collaboration across disciplinary and university boundaries to understand the need for coordination in these collaborations and how different levels of coordination predicted success. We conducted a study of 62 scientific collaborations supported by a program of the US National Science Foundation in 1998 and 1999. Projects with principal investigators (Pis) in more disciplines reported as many positive outcomes as did projects involving fewer disciplines. By contrast, multi-university, rather than multidisciplinary, projects were problematic. Projects with Pis from more universities were significantly less well coordinated and reported fewer positive outcomes than projects with Pis from fewer universities. Coordination mechanisms that brought distant researchers together physically slightly reduced the negative impact of collaborations involving multiple universities. We discuss implications for theory, practice, and policy. © SSS and SAGE Publications.

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Published In

Social Studies of Science

DOI

ISSN

0306-3127

Publication Date

October 31, 2005

Volume

35

Issue

5

Start / End Page

703 / 722

Related Subject Headings

  • Science Studies
  • 5002 History and philosophy of specific fields
  • 4410 Sociology
  • 4401 Anthropology
  • 2202 History and Philosophy of Specific Fields
  • 1608 Sociology
 

Citation

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Cummings, J. N., & Kiesler, S. (2005). Collaborative research across disciplinary and organizational boundaries. Social Studies of Science, 35(5), 703–722. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306312705055535
Cummings, J. N., and S. Kiesler. “Collaborative research across disciplinary and organizational boundaries.” Social Studies of Science 35, no. 5 (October 31, 2005): 703–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306312705055535.
Cummings JN, Kiesler S. Collaborative research across disciplinary and organizational boundaries. Social Studies of Science. 2005 Oct 31;35(5):703–22.
Cummings, J. N., and S. Kiesler. “Collaborative research across disciplinary and organizational boundaries.” Social Studies of Science, vol. 35, no. 5, Oct. 2005, pp. 703–22. Scopus, doi:10.1177/0306312705055535.
Cummings JN, Kiesler S. Collaborative research across disciplinary and organizational boundaries. Social Studies of Science. 2005 Oct 31;35(5):703–722.
Journal cover image

Published In

Social Studies of Science

DOI

ISSN

0306-3127

Publication Date

October 31, 2005

Volume

35

Issue

5

Start / End Page

703 / 722

Related Subject Headings

  • Science Studies
  • 5002 History and philosophy of specific fields
  • 4410 Sociology
  • 4401 Anthropology
  • 2202 History and Philosophy of Specific Fields
  • 1608 Sociology