Collaboration in research

Dr Peter KahnCentre for Lifelong Learning

University of Liverpool

The growth of collaboration as see through the Science Citation Index, from Katz and Hicks (1995)

• Tackling Campylobacter in the food chain

Collaboration with Defra and the FSA to study Campylobacter in the food chain

A trans-disciplinary research programme funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

The European Research and Education Collaboration with Asia (EURECA) project – Facebook Group

Paul Erdős

What is collaboration?

• … two or more parties from potentially disparate settings working together to achieve a common (academic) goal – (adapted from Walsh and Kahn, 2009)

Context

• Research involves work at the boundaries of what is possible.– Troublesome activity; Emergent working

• Technology/mobility facilitates and drives collaborative research

• Embedding within a global research system– Research foci crossing boundaries, policy and

funding frameworks, social infrastructure

Impact

• Does the impact of research depend on collaboration?

• How might greater capacity for collaborative working benefit your career?

Role profile - Research Grade 9

• Lead and develop external networks for example with other active researchers and leading thinkers in the field.

• Develop links with external contacts such as other educational and research bodies, employers, professional bodies and other providers of funding and research initiatives to foster collaboration and generate income.

• Lead teams within areas of responsibility.• Ensure that teams within the department work together.• Act to resolve conflicts within and between teams.

A model for collaborative research, from Walsh and Kahn (2009)

Collaborative vehicles

• The underlying social basis for working together– manifested through formal organisation, clear

agreements, agreed roles, shared practices, regular patterns of meeting, events, relationships.

• Other infrastructure to support collaborative research– Technology, equipment, ...

A need for dialogue

• Collaboration often involve working across differences in expertise, knowledge, culture, ...– dialogue can ensure cohesion, trust, mutual

understanding and so on. • Our context suggests that a premium is placed

on understanding:– dialogue provides a basis for understanding and

new insights.

Personal engagement

• Underlying concerns– maximising performance, social ideals,

communication?• A role can catalyse engagement– offering contact between social structure and

agency• Capacity for joint action - McIntyre and Dweck• Securing insight– reflexivity, attention and dialogue

Exercise 1

• Stories from prior experiences of working collaboratively where persistence was required, discussion resulted in insight, or existing infrastructure made the difference?

Exercise 2: engagement

• In pairs, introduce your research interests to each other. Can you identify any common interests in areas you are currently trying to progress?

Exercise 3

• In pairs, can you identify any ways to strengthen the articulation between your research and your own concerns? What is it that matters to you? In what ways does this relate to your research?

(Exercise 4)

• In pairs, consider what skills/expertise you possess that could be used to support collaborative research? How can you capitalise on this expertise?

Exercise 5: dialogue

• How can you further integrate discussion or exchanges with others as an integral element of your (collaborative) research?– Discussion with someone who has a perspective

or skill-set that would benefit your research?

Exercise 6: infrastructure

• Can you identify any infrastructure of which you could take greater advantage?– Social: meetings (research seminars), relationships

(other forms of support), events, funding, roles (looking after a machine), professional networks, …

– Technology (software that you could start using, web 2.0, …)

Taking it forward

• Identify any actions that you can take as a result of attending this session.

• Or are there any key insights that you will take away from the session?

References

• Katz, J. and Hicks, D. (1995) ‘Questions of collaboration’, Nature 375, 99.

• Walsh L and Kahn P (2009) Collaborative working in higher education, Routledge, London.