Team Research

One guiding premise of this manifesto is that individual students and scholars can perform interdisciplinary research. One need not have the same level of expertise in a discipline as one who specializes in that discipline in order to draw intelligently on that discipline for the purposes of interdisciplinary analysis. It is nevertheless true that interdisciplinary research is often performed in teams. Team members may each bring expertise to the team with respect to different disciplines or theories or methods or phenomena.

Though teams have the potential advantage of bring multiple perspectives and expertise to bear on a single problem, they inevitably face all of the challenges inherent in interdisciplinary communication. Team members may attach different meanings to words. These differences may not always be obvious and may lead team members to think that they agree when they do not, or that they disagree when they do not. Team members will also bring different perspectives. This is another important source of miscommunication, for one team member may make assumptions that are not made by others.

The Toolbox project has tackled the second challenge. They have given questionnaires – regarding epistemological and methodological issues – to members of interdisciplinary research teams. They then discuss with team members how and why their answers differ. When the questionnaire is given again, there is usually some convergence in answers: team members came to respect the views of others and moved away from extreme attitudes. Most importantly, team members reported that the exercise enhanced team communication: each member had a better sense of where other team members were coming from (see Looney et al. 2014; it is in a volume by O’Rourke et al, that addresses communication challenges more generally). The lesson for interdisciplinary communication is that it is very useful to be explicit about the nature of disciplinary (and other) perspectives.

In addition to these cognitive challenges – dealing with differences in definitions and perspectives -- there are also psychological challenges. Team members must get along and respect each other, and each team member must do their share of the work. These challenges may be exacerbated in interdisciplinary research if some team members feel – perhaps subconsciously -- that their discipline (or favorite theory or method) is somehow superior.

Several of the traits associated with interdisciplinarity (discussed in Interdisciplinary Teaching Strategies) are of critical importance for teams. Team members must respect other perspectives, and be curious to learn about these. They must more generally have considerable intellectual curiosity. They must have the courage to reflect on their own hidden assumptions as they interact with others. They must be willing to cope with complexities and uncertainties (see Misra et al. 2011). Team members should also be collaborative, responsible, and have good time-management and information management skills.

There are various strategies for encouraging positive team outcomes. There must be a mix of collaborative conversations with clear tasks for each team member to work on between conversations. There should be opportunities for the exploration of differences in definition and perspective. Each team member should feel that they will be rewarded for their effort and collaboration. If a team leader is chosen, this should be a person that is respectful of all team members and good at providing constructive encouragement (and constructive criticism if necessary). It is best if the team is formed at the start of the interdisciplinary research process: if the team does not agree upon – and fully understand – the research question(s) then collaboration in later steps is unlikely.

Instructors in interdisciplinary courses may encourage students to work in teams. They may require a group project or group presentation in class. They might employ group exercises in class. For example, students in a group might each be asked to sketch an interdisciplinary research question on a piece of paper. As the papers are passed around, each subsequent student seeks to clarify the question. Similar exercises can be pursued at each step in the interdisciplinary research process. Students will experience the advantages of having different minds work together on a single project. They will likely also experience some of the communication challenges inherent in interdisciplinary research. Even if explicit teamwork is not encouraged, class discussions regarding the challenges students are facing at each step in the interdisciplinary research process are an invaluable strategy for learning both about interdisciplinary research and about the value of bringing multiple perspectives to bear on a particular challenge.

Cooke, Nancy J., and Margaret L. Hilton, eds. (2015). Enhancing the Effectiveness of Team Science. Committee on the science of Team Science, Board on Behavioral, Cognitive and Sensory Sciences, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council.

Hall, K. L., Vogel, A. L., Huang, G. C., Serrano, K. J., Rice, E. L., Tsakraklides, S. P., & Fiore, S. M. (2018). The science of team science: A review of the empirical evidence and research gaps on collaboration in science. American Psychologist, 73(4), 532-548.

Looney, Chris et al. (2014). Seeing through the eyes of collaborators: Using Toolbox workshops to enhance cross-disciplinary communication. In Michael O’Rourke et al., Enhancing Communication and Collaboration in Interdisciplinary Research, Thousand Oaks: Sage,

O'Rourke, Michael, Crowley Stephen, Eigenbrode, Sanford D., and Wulfhorst, J.D., eds. (2014) Enhancing Communication and Collaboration in Interdisciplinary Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Misra, Shalini, Kara Hall, Annie Feng, Brooke Stipelman, and Daniel Stokols (2011). Collaborative processes in td work, Ch8 in Kirst, M.J. et al. (Eds.), Converging Disciplines: A Transdisciplinary Research Approach to Urban Health Problems. New York. Springer, .

Those interested in learning more about teamwork are urged to consult the websites of both Science of Team Science and td-net. The About Interdisciplinarity website of the Association for Interdisciplinary Studies also surveys the literature on team research.