Teamwork is essential in life, but did you know it is also relevant in the science industry? Through collaboration, many of the world’s most notorious inventions and discoveries have come to fruition. Working well with peers and understanding another vision is essential when agreeing to collaborate on a project.
Roles
A few different roles can be taken on when collaborating in the science industry. To better understand them, refer to the following definitions.
Contributors
This is an individual who works on the part of the project and then delivers results to the entire team.
Communicators
These individuals manage social interactions and ensure all team members are well–informed of what is going on during the project.
Challengers
A challenger is responsible for questioning the information presented to find holes in the theories or experiments.
Collaborators
These individuals are the project leaders, coming up with the overall plan of action. They hold the team together during the entire process.
How to Collaborate
Choosing a team is one of the most important parts of beginning a collaboration. Once a vision is set, figuring out who is suitable for the team comes next. After determining this, interviews should be held to narrow down the best candidates.
When collaborating with another person or multiple people, everyone must be on the same page. This means the information must be accessible to all, and the vision must be clear. Any changes that arise should be clearly communicated to the entire team.
Through the combined success of the team, collaboration is defined as a success. This is not the most accurate representation of the end result when only part of the team is successful because all input has not been carefully collected.
Working well with others is a learned skill that comes more straightforward than others, but it is especially valid in the science industry. Because of this willingness to work together, some of the biggest problems are solved.