Understanding and Addressing Problems in Research Collaboration: A Qualitative Interview Study From a Self-Governance...

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Theory-driven research on general collaboration problems is scarce.
• Understanding and solving collaboration challenges is crucial for successful research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop theoretically informed catalogs of problems and solutions in research collaboration.
• To base these catalogs on participant experiences and expectations, using self-governance principles.

Main Methods:

• Drawing from club theory and commons theory.
• Conducting expert interviews (N=18) with leading German researchers.

Main Results:

• Identified seven typical collaboration problems (e.g., lack of commitment, fairness).
• Identified 12 potential solutions (e.g., continuous evaluation, creating cognitive common ground).

Conclusions:

• The study provides a framework for investigating research collaboration problems and solutions.
• Results aim to improve research collaboration through better understanding and self-regulation.