Introduction
Collaborative science is becoming the norm in many fields of research. This trend reflects the fact that tackling large, complex scientific problems requires expertise from multiple disciplines and perspectives. But collaborative science can be difficult to do well.
Complex undertakings that bring together people with diverse skills and goals can be spread across different institutions.
The challenges of working on teams are not new, but there is an emerging field that explores these challenges: team science. In this article, we describe the findings of this research and offer best practices for navigating some common pitfalls to improve your chances of success in collaborative research.
Team Science: An Effective Way to Tackle Complex Problems
There are plenty of ways to tackle complex issues. Some people like to break them down into smaller, more manageable pieces, while others prefer to tackle the entire issue at once. And then there’s the Team Science approach: breaking down the issue into its component parts and solving each piece independently, before combining them all together.
NASA has been using this method since the 1960s, when they started using it to solve problems that were too big for any one person to handle alone. Today it’s used in every field imaginable—from marketing to medicine, from law enforcement to education.
The Team Science method works because it allows you to take advantage of your team members’ different perspectives and experiences: instead of asking yourself “How do I get this done?” or “What does this mean?”, each member can ask themselves “What can I contribute?” or “How might we make this better?” The result is a solution that’s more comprehensive and less likely to fall short on any one aspect of the issue at hand.
What Makes Teams Work?
The science of team science has been advancing rapidly over the last few years. There are now many tools and techniques to help teams work better together, but the common denominator is that they all focus on making teams more human-centered.
Here are some ways to make your team more human-centered:
- Make sure everyone on your team knows what they’re there for, and why it matters. This can be as simple as an email or as complicated as an in-depth presentation. Just make sure everyone understands why they’re there, so they can feel invested in their work and more likely to put in extra effort when needed.
- Schedule regular retrospectives where people can talk about what went well and what could be improved next time around, so that everyone feels like they have an equal say in how things get done.
The composition of a team is one factor that influences its performance. In general, teams with a more diverse set of skills and abilities tend to be more productive than homogeneous groups. Research has shown that diverse workplaces are more creative and innovative.
Teamwork: Translational Research Teams Have Special Needs
Translational research teams are unique. They are made up of experts from different fields and disciplines, who come together to work on a common goal—to translate their knowledge into a medical treatment or procedure. The work is complex, and the stakes are high.
The challenges of working in such a team can be daunting, but they don’t have to be insurmountable. In fact, if you recognize the potential pitfalls early on, you can take steps to avoid them—and even use them to your advantage.
Understanding the Forces That Affect Collaborative Science
Team science has become an increasingly popular strategy for tackling complex problems that are too large for any single individual or organization to solve alone. In order to improve the quality and impact of collaborative science, it is important to understand the forces that affect its progress.
Project Teams
A project team typically consists of people from different backgrounds (e.g., biologists and computer scientists) who come together with a common goal (e.g., launching a new product). Project teams stand out because they have limited life spans and usually have clear goals—two characteristics not generally associated with traditional scientific research groups.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we have covered the science of team science and how it can be applied to your project.
The most essential thing about a team is that you have all the necessary skills to complete your project, but also that you all work well together. If you are working with people who don’t get along, or don’t know each other very well, having them work together could make things worse.
If you find yourself in this situation, try taking some time away from each other before working on the project again. This will give everyone time to cool off and hopefully see the other person’s side of things.
Also remember that having a diverse group of people working on a project can lead to some great results! It’s always good to look at different perspectives when trying to solve problems or come up with new ideas.