A trip around the world: Accommodating geographical, linguistic and cultural diversity in academic research teams

Abstract

Those working within the academy are drawing collaborations, both within and across their home institutions, to undertake increasingly complex and sophisticated research questions, a trend supported by the granting agencies. Advances in computers and telecommunications have facilitated these collaborations by allowing teams to recruit the right person and expertise, regardless of location. To ensure that they are able to achieve their research objectives, these teams must find methods and means to maximize the benefits associated generally with collaboration while minimizing challenges and to also address those challenges more specifically associated with the geographical, linguistic and cultural diversity. This article contributes to this understanding by reporting on interviews conducted with individuals with experience in teams that cross geographical, linguistic and cultural boundaries and focus on understanding the benefits and challenges associated with collaboration with membership and the strategies used to strengthen them. Whereas these teams benefit from these collaborations, they experience many challenges, including language and cultural differences, differing access to and comfort levels with technology, and often conflicting requirements from funding agencies and stakeholders. These teams have devised strategies at project and individual levels, with clearly articulated project plans, project liaisons, flexibility and other soft and language skills, multiple communication channels, and others, to mitigate these challenges. The article concludes with recommendations for funders, projects and individuals.

“More Hands” Means “More Ideas”: Collaboration in the Humanities

“…Further, collaboration can increase the quality, depth and scope of the research and often achieve what a single researcher cannot [6,12,16,17]. Finally, these collaborations afford individuals an often-welcomed change from solitary work and a chance to learn new skills and knowledge [2,3,6,18].…”

“…Along with those in the Sciences and Social Sciences, humanities researchers are turning to collaborations to explore increasingly complex and large-scale questions [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Granting agencies are supporting this trend with specific programs focused on highly collaborative research including Digging into Data [7], Partnership Grants [8], and many others.…”

“…Granting agencies are supporting this trend with specific programs focused on highly collaborative research including Digging into Data [7], Partnership Grants [8], and many others. While researchers and other team members welcome these collaborations as a way to undertake projects that would not be possible otherwise [2,3], it is not clear that all are accustomed to or trained for this type of work [9][10][11][12]. As a result, teams may not understand the best ways to work together in order to be successful, creating challenges for a collaboration [9].…”

Developing an Open Social Scholarship Collaboration: Lessons from INKE

“…While researchers and other associated team members welcome these collaborations as a way to undertake larger-scale projects (Siemens and Burr 2013;Siemens et al 2011), work still needs to be done to prepare individuals for working within a team where interdependent tasks must be coordinated, knowledge and progress must be communicated, and an overall research vision must be accepted and enacted (Newell and Swan 2000;Hara et al 2003;Lawrence 2006). However, little is well understood about the ways to do this, the good practices needed for successful outcomes as well as the characteristics of people who can work well within a team project (Jeffrey 2003).…”

Research Collaboration as “Layers of Engagement”: INKE in Year Four

“…Granting agencies are supporting this trend with specific programs focused on highly collaborative research, including Digging into Data (2013), Partnership Grants (SSHRC, 2013), and many others. While researchers and other associated team members welcome these collaborations as a way to undertake projects that would not be possible otherwise (Siemens & Burr, 2013;Siemens, Cunningham, Duff, & Warwick, 2011), work still needs to be done to prepare individuals for working within a team where interdependent tasks must be coordinated, knowledge and progress communicated, and an overall research vision must be accepted and enacted (Hara, Solomon, Kim, & Sonnenwald, 2003;Lawrence, 2006;Newell & Swan, 2000).…”