Improving the culture of interdisciplinary collaboration in ecology by expanding measures of success
Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential to understand ecological systems at scales critical to human decision making. Current reward structures are problematic for scientists engaged in interdisciplinary research, particularly early career researchers, because academic culture tends to value only some research outputs, such as primary‐authored publications. Here, we present a framework for the costs and benefits of collaboration, with a focus on early career stages, and show how the implementation of novel measures of success can help defray the costs of collaboration. Success measures at team and individual levels include research outputs other than publications, including educational outcomes, dataset creation, outreach products (eg blogs or social media), and the application of scientific results to policy or management activities. Promotion and adoption of new measures of success will require concerted effort by both collaborators and their institutions. Expanded measures should better reflect and reward the important work of both disciplinary and interdisciplinary teams at all career stages, and help sustain and stimulate a collaborative culture within ecology.
DOI: 10.1890/120370
Institutions: University of Wisconsin–Madison, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Kansas State University, Michigan State University, University of California, Santa Barbara, University of Georgia, Florida International University, University of New Hampshire, National Ecological Observatory Network
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: Collaborative Research: Stream Consumers and Lotic Ecosystem Rates (SCALER): Scaling from Centimeters to Continents, Collaborative Research and NEON: PalEON - A PaleoEcological Observatory Network to Assess Terrestrial Ecosystem Models, G3612697672, Collaborative Research: Building Analytical, Synthesis, and Human Network Skills Needed for Macrosystem Science: a Next Generation Graduate Student Training Model Based on GLEON, Collaborative Research: Stream Consumers and Lotic Ecosystem Rates (SCALER): Scaling from Centimeters to Continents, Collaborative Research: Do Microenvironments Govern Macroecology?, Construction and Operations of the National Ecological Observatory
OpenAlex ID: W2096735936