Collaboration and Collaboratories

Symposium on Knowledge Environments for Symposium on Knowledge Environments for ScienceScience

NSF November 2002NSF November 2002

Ed HackettEd Hackett

Origins of the Project

Follow on from mid-80s study of research Follow on from mid-80s study of research funding effects on scientistsfunding effects on scientists

Clear that groups, not individuals, matteredClear that groups, not individuals, mattered Also wanted to know what happened next; Also wanted to know what happened next;

always seems on the brink of somethingalways seems on the brink of something Pilot study in early 90s, tour of duty at NSF Pilot study in early 90s, tour of duty at NSF

from 96-98, then re-established study at from 96-98, then re-established study at ASUASU

Data

Taped, transcribed, face-face interviews Taped, transcribed, face-face interviews with scientistswith scientists

Web-based questionnaire surveyWeb-based questionnaire survey Archival data from university records and Archival data from university records and

SCISCI Observation of research groups and NCEAS Observation of research groups and NCEAS

working groupsworking groups

My aims today…

To discuss some key aspects of research groups’ To discuss some key aspects of research groups’ organization and functioning that shape the organization and functioning that shape the knowledge they produce and the life course they knowledge they produce and the life course they follow.follow.

To illustrate these comments with a little interview To illustrate these comments with a little interview material, to give you a feel for the processes. material, to give you a feel for the processes.

To talk about some implications of these To talk about some implications of these observations for the design of knowledge observations for the design of knowledge environments for research—(considerations).environments for research—(considerations).

What’s to come

Just 2 big ideas for starters—scientists and Just 2 big ideas for starters—scientists and engineers use research ensembles to open engineers use research ensembles to open protected fields of inquiry. Some little protected fields of inquiry. Some little ideas accompany them.ideas accompany them.

From these ideas follow about seven From these ideas follow about seven considerations for thinking about considerations for thinking about knowledge environments. knowledge environments.

Research groups are socio-technical enterprises A research group joins a group of scientists A research group joins a group of scientists

or engineers with an ensemble of research or engineers with an ensemble of research technologies, which includes the materials, technologies, which includes the materials, methods, tools, techniques, and methods, tools, techniques, and measurement theories that make inquiry measurement theories that make inquiry possible.possible.

First Big Idea: Ensembles of Research Technologies A family of ideas: “instrumentalities” (Price, A family of ideas: “instrumentalities” (Price,

1983), “experimental systems” (Rheinberger, 1983), “experimental systems” (Rheinberger, 1994; 1997); “research signatures” (Mukerji, 1994; 1997); “research signatures” (Mukerji, 1989), “ensembles of research technologies” 1989), “ensembles of research technologies” (Hackett, 2003??).(Hackett, 2003??).

Ensembles in Action: Identity and InertiaKuhn (1977): the “Essential Tension” in science between Kuhn (1977): the “Essential Tension” in science between

tradition and originality in science.tradition and originality in science. Research ensembles materially embody that tension, as they Research ensembles materially embody that tension, as they

give a group both identity and inertia. That is, they give a group both identity and inertia. That is, they distinguish the group’s work from that of other groups distinguish the group’s work from that of other groups while joining that work to the established and growing while joining that work to the established and growing body of knowledge. body of knowledge.

The technical skills are both tacit and explicit, both private The technical skills are both tacit and explicit, both private and shared. How much metadata are enough? Just a little and shared. How much metadata are enough? Just a little more than any of us ever have.more than any of us ever have.

The issue of identity

““It’s very important for us young people to It’s very important for us young people to keep things [concerning our research and keep things [concerning our research and labs] separated…because you want to get labs] separated…because you want to get your identity….a way of thinking about your identity….a way of thinking about problems that develops because problems that develops because youyou work work on the problems. You think about them a on the problems. You think about them a certain way, you attack them in a certain certain way, you attack them in a certain way….”way….”

More about identity

“…“…there’s a quirk about them [the research there’s a quirk about them [the research problems you address] that’s a little bit problems you address] that’s a little bit different from what the next person is different from what the next person is doing, and they probably feel the same doing, and they probably feel the same way….way….

““We’re still sort of searching, I think, for We’re still sort of searching, I think, for the real, focused question that we want to the real, focused question that we want to address….”address….”

#1: Identity in collaboration

What are the consequences of new What are the consequences of new knowledge environments for young knowledge environments for young scientists’ project of designing and scientists’ project of designing and establishing for themselves a research establishing for themselves a research identity in the field, one that satisfies both identity in the field, one that satisfies both conditions of the essential tension: it is conditions of the essential tension: it is original and it connects with research original and it connects with research traditions?traditions?

Last Big Idea: Research Opens

““In what does the essence of research consist? In In what does the essence of research consist? In the fact that knowing establishes itself as a the fact that knowing establishes itself as a procedureprocedure within some realm of what is, in nature within some realm of what is, in nature or history….[E]very procedure already requires an or history….[E]very procedure already requires an open sphereopen sphere in which it moves. in which it moves. And it is precisely And it is precisely the opening of such a sphere that is the the opening of such a sphere that is the fundamental event in researchfundamental event in research.”.”

Heidegger, emphasis addedHeidegger, emphasis added

To wit, a scientist said:

““And using that gene we then could go in And using that gene we then could go in and get a lot of other genes that encode and get a lot of other genes that encode proteins that interact with telomeres. So, proteins that interact with telomeres. So, you know, we you know, we cracked open a fieldcracked open a field with the with the work that technician was doing.”work that technician was doing.”

So I asked, In what sense did it “crack So I asked, In what sense did it “crack open?”open?”

The scientist replied: ““There was no such protein before….and There was no such protein before….and

because we had one protein, it became because we had one protein, it became relatively easy to get all the others….Once relatively easy to get all the others….Once you have one in hand, you can start pulling you have one in hand, you can start pulling and get the others, and that’s what we’re and get the others, and that’s what we’re doing.”doing.”

(That’s the inertia, but I can’t say more about (That’s the inertia, but I can’t say more about it here today.)it here today.)

Why no competition?

““One of the possibilities is that we have a One of the possibilities is that we have a huge variety of techniques working huge variety of techniques working dailydaily in in the lab, and we have all the reagents that the lab, and we have all the reagents that you need for this research. We have them you need for this research. We have them because we generated them all ourselves, because we generated them all ourselves, and many of these things are not and many of these things are not commercially available.”commercially available.”

Do you share them?

““I send them out to whomever asks. We get I send them out to whomever asks. We get like 5 requests a week or 10 requests a week like 5 requests a week or 10 requests a week for reagents. I send everything out: cells, for reagents. I send everything out: cells, antibodies, clones, genes, and so on. antibodies, clones, genes, and so on.

““But, you know, if someone asks me for the But, you know, if someone asks me for the whole shopping list—the 500 reagents you whole shopping list—the 500 reagents you really need--”really need--”

Does it really require 500?

““[L]et me tone that down a bit. I would say [L]et me tone that down a bit. I would say 100, yes, easily. If somebody asked for that 100, yes, easily. If somebody asked for that then I’d go, like, ‘Hello? [laughs] What then I’d go, like, ‘Hello? [laughs] What are you doing?’ Nobody has the guts to ask are you doing?’ Nobody has the guts to ask that. I mean, if they ask for 10 things at the that. I mean, if they ask for 10 things at the same time then we’ll really get a little like, same time then we’ll really get a little like, ‘So, what experiment are you going to do ‘So, what experiment are you going to do with all that?’ So it’s hard to get started with all that?’ So it’s hard to get started dede novonovo in this business.” in this business.”

And in consequence?

““We don’t have serious competition. We We don’t have serious competition. We don’t. And so we have the luxury of doing don’t. And so we have the luxury of doing everything very slow. I’m very slow in everything very slow. I’m very slow in publishing. Very slow. It takes us publishing. Very slow. It takes us for-everfor-ever to get anything out. The latest to get anything out. The latest CellCell paper paper that just came out? I started writing that a that just came out? I started writing that a year and a half ago….”year and a half ago….”

#2: Responsible conduct of research

A collaboratory may make open and A collaboratory may make open and explicit elements of the research process explicit elements of the research process that had been obscure. that had been obscure.

Consequences for the responsible conduct Consequences for the responsible conduct of research, research misconduct, data of research, research misconduct, data quality and data sharing.quality and data sharing.

For such reasons some may be reluctant to For such reasons some may be reluctant to participate.participate.

#3: How do collaboratories influence knowledge production? Quality: more data, better, cleaner?Quality: more data, better, cleaner? Velocity: quicker to produce, publish?Velocity: quicker to produce, publish? Reliability: data by recognized experts?Reliability: data by recognized experts? Problem selection: commitment to a topic, Problem selection: commitment to a topic,

regardless of success? More agile, or less?regardless of success? More agile, or less? Substance: new sorts of scientific knowledge? Substance: new sorts of scientific knowledge?

(e.g, the aims of NCEAS)(e.g, the aims of NCEAS) ““Evolutionary” consequences: a place for fish Evolutionary” consequences: a place for fish

scales to overlap or reduced variability?scales to overlap or reduced variability?

#4: Are collaboratories a point of contact for policy makers and industry? Research ensembles present inviting targets Research ensembles present inviting targets

for science policy, and larger ensembles are for science policy, and larger ensembles are bigger targets. bigger targets.

Also have symbolic value, as markers of Also have symbolic value, as markers of commitmentcommitment

Susceptible to direction: more resources Susceptible to direction: more resources allocated for particular topics, used in allocated for particular topics, used in particular ways.particular ways.

#5: Similarly, collaboratories make excellent nodes in a network Collaboratories themselves may be nodes in a Collaboratories themselves may be nodes in a

heterogeneous network, one that includes more heterogeneous network, one that includes more than the research and policy communities.than the research and policy communities.

For example, collaboratories in biomedicine may For example, collaboratories in biomedicine may offer a point of contact between scientific fields, offer a point of contact between scientific fields, joining researchers from diverse fields with joining researchers from diverse fields with practitioners, users of knowledge, patients, their practitioners, users of knowledge, patients, their families, and disease-advocates.families, and disease-advocates.

#6: Effects on the research process Collaboratories may occupy—indeed, they may Collaboratories may occupy—indeed, they may

have created a region—in the middle ground of the have created a region—in the middle ground of the research process: they fall between the research research process: they fall between the research group and the invisible college, between the group and the invisible college, between the department seminar and the manuscript under department seminar and the manuscript under review. review.

Results and inferences may be presented in the Results and inferences may be presented in the collaboratory context with less authority and collaboratory context with less authority and certainty than they would in more public contexts. certainty than they would in more public contexts. An adjunct to peer review, enlarging the An adjunct to peer review, enlarging the conversation.conversation.

#7: Sociological ambivalence

Scientific research is characterized by a tension Scientific research is characterized by a tension between competition and cooperation: Research is between competition and cooperation: Research is inherently inherently bothboth cooperative and competitive, not cooperative and competitive, not either aloneeither alone. Indeed, science may be . Indeed, science may be characterized as ambivalent, governed by characterized as ambivalent, governed by inconsistent values in tension: openness-secrecy, inconsistent values in tension: openness-secrecy, dirigisme-laissez-faire, others. Collaboratories dirigisme-laissez-faire, others. Collaboratories may bring such tensions to the foreground, driving may bring such tensions to the foreground, driving them out of “suspended opposition.”them out of “suspended opposition.”