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NCEAS
NCEAS Project 12178
Disciplinary synthesis and collaboration in ecology: Organizations, research groups, and work lives
- Parker, John
| Activity | Dates | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| Postdoctoral Fellowship | 1st August 2008—31st July 2009 | Participant List |
Abstract
This is a proposal to extend and develop an ongoing investigation of current attempts to synthesize research in ecology and the social sciences. Ecology is undergoing a rapid transformation, a major component of which is the increasingly interdisciplinary scope of ecological research. Among the most salient attempts to bridge disciplines are occurring between ecology and the social sciences. Driven by the complexity of social-ecological interactions and pressing environmental concerns, attempts to merge these disciplines have become institutionalized in research centers, funding initiatives, scholarly journals and conferences. Because change has been rapid, little is known about the character of these efforts and their impact on science. These issues will be explored through a comparative, multi-method investigation of the practice and outcomes of synthetic social-ecological research. Expected outcomes include: 1) enhancing understanding of the most effective means by which to catalyze disciplinary synthesis, 2) advancing knowledge about the social and technical processes characteristic of synthetic collaborations, 3) increasing insight regarding the effect of synthetic participation on researchers? careers, and 4) providing information on disciplinary synthesis as an agent of scientific change.
