Process makes perfect: mapping science team behavior across phases

Modern technological and methodological advancements in science require experts to collaborate to answer more complex questions. Science teams are uniquely equipped with expertise to explore novel approaches to answer these questions. Prior research has advanced the understanding of science teams through stage-based models, but a gap remains in integrating these models with process models. To address this gap, we draw on two foundational frameworks-the four-phased transdisciplinary team development model and the temporally grounded framework of team processes-to develop an integrated conceptual framework of science team behavior. We synthesize these two frameworks using a conceptual integration approach to map team processes with the focal activities that characterize the four phases of science teams. This integration highlights the criticality of transition processes in shaping coordination and the development of shared knowledge of team progress. The resulting framework offers insight into the dynamic nature of science teams and their processes, identifying what is most salient in each stage and what shifts as teams adapt. In doing so, we advance team science by elaborating on challenges that may be encountered and provide testable propositions to guide future empirical research and further support science teams.