Perceived discontinuities and continuities in transdisciplinary scientific working groups
Abstract
We examine the DataONE (Data Observation Network for Earth) project, a transdisciplinary organization tasked with creating a cyberinfrastructure platform to ensure preservation of and access to environmental science and biological science data. Its objective was a difficult one to achieve, requiring innovative solutions. The DataONE project used a working group structure to organize its members. Here, we use organizational discontinuity theory as our lens to understand the factors associated with success in such projects. Based on quantitative and qualitative data collected from DataONE members, we offer recommendations for the use of working groups in transdisciplinary synthesis. Recommendations include welcome diverse opinions and world views, establish shared communication practices, schedule periodic synchronous face-to-face meetings, and ensure the active participation of bridge builders or knowledge brokers such as librarians who know how to ask questions about disciplines not their own.
- Authors:
-
[3];
- Syracuse Univ., NY (United States). School of Information Studies
- Univ. of Queensland, Brisbane (Australia). Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network and School of Geography
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States). Jon M. Huntsman School of Business
- Univ. of Illinois, Chicago, IL (United States). Dept. of Information and Decision Sciences
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1469524
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1246482
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-14-28614
Journal ID: ISSN 0048-9697
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Science of the Total Environment
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 534; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0048-9697
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION; 97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING; Information Science; transdisciplinary synthesis; working groups; boundaries; discontinuities; continuities; organization theory
Citation Formats
Crowston, Kevin, Specht, Alison, Hoover, Carol L., Chudoba, Katherine, and Watson-Manheim, Mary Beth. Perceived discontinuities and continuities in transdisciplinary scientific working groups. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.121.
Crowston, Kevin, Specht, Alison, Hoover, Carol L., Chudoba, Katherine, & Watson-Manheim, Mary Beth. Perceived discontinuities and continuities in transdisciplinary scientific working groups. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.121
Crowston, Kevin, Specht, Alison, Hoover, Carol L., Chudoba, Katherine, and Watson-Manheim, Mary Beth. Wed .
"Perceived discontinuities and continuities in transdisciplinary scientific working groups". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.121. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1469524.
@article{osti_1469524,
title = {Perceived discontinuities and continuities in transdisciplinary scientific working groups},
author = {Crowston, Kevin and Specht, Alison and Hoover, Carol L. and Chudoba, Katherine and Watson-Manheim, Mary Beth},
abstractNote = {We examine the DataONE (Data Observation Network for Earth) project, a transdisciplinary organization tasked with creating a cyberinfrastructure platform to ensure preservation of and access to environmental science and biological science data. Its objective was a difficult one to achieve, requiring innovative solutions. The DataONE project used a working group structure to organize its members. Here, we use organizational discontinuity theory as our lens to understand the factors associated with success in such projects. Based on quantitative and qualitative data collected from DataONE members, we offer recommendations for the use of working groups in transdisciplinary synthesis. Recommendations include welcome diverse opinions and world views, establish shared communication practices, schedule periodic synchronous face-to-face meetings, and ensure the active participation of bridge builders or knowledge brokers such as librarians who know how to ask questions about disciplines not their own.},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.121},
journal = {Science of the Total Environment},
number = C,
volume = 534,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed May 06 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Wed May 06 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
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