Research

My research interests are distributed networks, virtual research organizations, scientific collaborations, complex adaptive systems theory, emergence, scientists' data practices, science communication, and interdisciplinary studies.

Currently, I am studying the interdisciplinary interaction and collaborative practices within the research teams at the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI). The NAI comprises of 15 teams at universities and research labs across the U.S. and even with additional collaborators from Europe. The teams constitute a highly interdisciplinary community of approximately 850 researchers studying the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth and the potential for life elsewhere in the cosmos. Typical disciplines include biology, chemistry, astronomy, geosciences, and marine sciences as well as fields such as education, science communication, philosophy, and theology. My objective is to study the NAI’s current collaborative practices and provide insight and recommendations for their evolution and improvement, particularly with respect to remote communication, data sharing and analysis across distance, collaborative problem solving, interdisciplinary science, and institutional identity.

My studies are often descriptive, exploratory, large-grained, and flexible. I employ mixed methods research design because it provides the best way to explore the various research interests I have. I frequently use both quantitative and qualitative methods in order to learn and tell more about them. However, I am fully aware of the incommensurability of the ontological assumptions of qualitative and quantitative paradigms. As a pragmatist, I humbly try to ask and answer as many as questions about the phenomenon and mixed methods research designs provide the rich reflection I seek.