skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Perceived discontinuities and continuities in transdisciplinary scientific working groups

Journal Article · · Science of the Total Environment
 [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. Syracuse Univ., NY (United States). School of Information Studies
  2. Univ. of Queensland, Brisbane (Australia). Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network and School of Geography
  3. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  4. Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States). Jon M. Huntsman School of Business
  5. Univ. of Illinois, Chicago, IL (United States). Dept. of Information and Decision Sciences
+ Show Author Affiliations

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.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1469524
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1246482
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-14-28614
Journal Information:
Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 534, Issue C; ISSN 0048-9697
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 15 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (48)

Charting a course for collaboration: a multiteam perspective journal September 2012
All in a Day'S Work: Boundaries and Micro Role Transitions journal July 2000
Managing the Design Innovation-Brand Marketing Interface: Resolving the Tension between Artistic Creation and Commercial Imperatives* journal March 2005
Improving the odds through the Collaboration Success Wizard journal October 2012
Virtual team collaboration: building shared meaning, resolving breakdowns and creating translucence journal May 2009
Management knowledge and the organization of team science in university research centers journal November 2012
A Multi-Level Systems Perspective for the Science of Team Science journal September 2010
Social practices and the management of knowledge in project environments journal April 2003
A Pragmatic View of Knowledge and Boundaries: Boundary Objects in New Product Development journal August 2002
The Mutual Knowledge Problem and Its Consequences for Dispersed Collaboration journal June 2001
From virtual teams to virtuality in teams journal April 2010
Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams journal June 1999
The Local and Variegated Nature of Learning in Organizations: A Group-Level Perspective journal April 2002
Mapping a research agenda for the science of team science journal June 2011
Reconceptualizing Organizational Routines as a Source of Flexibility and Change journal March 2003
Interdisciplinarity as Teamwork: How the Science of Teams Can Inform Team Science journal June 2008
Towards a Process Model of Individual Change in Organizations journal April 2001
Participatory and appreciative action and reflection (PAAR) - democratizing reflective practices journal November 2008
Unpacking the Concept of Virtuality: The Effects of Geographic Dispersion, Electronic Dependence, Dynamic Structure, and National Diversity on Team Innovation journal September 2006
Groups in Context: A Model of Task Group Effectiveness journal December 1984
Enhancing Transdisciplinary Research Through Collaborative Leadership journal August 2008
Integrating R&D and Marketing: A Review and Analysis of the Literature journal May 1996
The Collaboration Readiness of Transdisciplinary Research Teams and Centers journal August 2008
Assessing the Value of Team Science journal February 2012
A four-phase model of transdisciplinary team-based research: goals, team processes, and strategies journal October 2012
Collaboration and Productivity in Scientific Synthesis journal November 2011
Research on Innovation: A Review and Agenda for Marketing Science journal November 2006
Understanding Conflict in Geographically Distributed Teams: The Moderating Effects of Shared Identity, Shared Context, and Spontaneous Communication journal June 2005
Emerging interdisciplinary practice: making nanoreactors journal July 2009
Demographic Diversity and Faultlines: The Compositional DYnamics of Organizational Groups journal April 1998
Innovation Blindness: Culture, Frames, and Cross-Boundary Problem Construction in the Development of New Technology Concepts journal April 2011
Turning a Community into a Market: A Practice Perspective on Information Technology Use in Boundary Spanning journal April 2006
Knowledge Communities and Knowledge Collectivities: A Typology of Knowledge Work in Groups* journal September 2005
A Dynamical Approach Toward Understanding Mechanisms of Team Science: Change, Kinship, Tension, and Heritage in a Transdisciplinary Team: Dynamical Approach Toward Understanding Team Science journal April 2013
Measuring Collaboration and Transdisciplinary Integration in Team Science journal August 2008
Bridging Space Over Time: Global Virtual Team Dynamics and Effectiveness journal October 2000
Matching knowledge brokering strategies to environmental policy problems and settings journal November 2009
Participatory design of DataONE—Enabling cyberinfrastructure for the biological and environmental sciences journal September 2012
Spurring Cross-Functional Integration for Higher New Product Performance: A Group Effectiveness Perspective *: Spurring Cross-Functional Integration for Higher New Product Performance journal May 2010
Knowing in Practice: Enacting a Collective Capability in Distributed Organizing journal June 2002
Science Incubators: Synthesis Centers and Their Role in the Research Ecosystem journal January 2013
Project-Based Learning and the Role of Learning Boundaries journal November 2004
Managing Boundaries in Organizations journal September 1987
CROSSROADS—Organizing for Fluidity? Dilemmas of New Organizational Forms journal December 2010
The Ecology of Team Science journal August 2008
The Team Science Toolkit journal December 2013
Perceived discontinuities and constructed continuities in virtual work: Discontinuities and continuities in virtual work journal February 2011
A commentary on the pluralistic goals, logics of action, and institutional contexts of translational team science journal September 2012

Cited By (3)

Enhancing collaboration in BIM-based construction networks through organisational discontinuity theory: a case study of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital journal April 2016
Constructing continuities in virtual work environments: A multiple case study of two firms with differing degrees of virtuality journal August 2018
Understanding Inclusion within Diversity: Meaning, Model, and Practice posted_content June 2020

Similar Records

Related Subjects

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
Information Science
transdisciplinary synthesis
working groups
boundaries
discontinuities
continuities
organization theory