The Importance of Team Science
The replication crisis made researchers across all scientific disciplines reconsider their methodologies. Aspects that were overlooked or seemed trivial were proving essential to scientific progress. The ability to get the same results when repeating the study (i.e., replicability), or even when re-running the originally reported analysis on the same collected data (i.e., reproducibility) was unrightfully taken for granted. In recent years, new research practices, such as calls for open data and materials, study preregistration, and registered reports, have been put into place in hope to increase transparency and replicability and allow the collecaion of large datasets to strengthen experimental evidence (see Nosek et al., 2022). One of these practices is team science. Despite the challenges it brings, collaborative science is highly encouraged as they facilitate progress in their respective fields.
Meanwhile, consciousness research has been far from collaborative. The field is fragmented across experts from different disciplines and proponents of different theories of consciousness, working in parallel silos and reaching contradicting conclusions. As the work by Yaron et al. showed, various theories of consciousness have continued to develop in parallel. Instead of working together, scientists have been competing against one another. Private funding agencies such as the Templeton World Charity Foundation and Tiny Blue Dot Foundation have invested in promoting cross-talk between consciousness researchers. These efforts, including the one we are working on (Cogitate), are new in the field; as such, we had to overcome many challenges in working on a large group research project.
Yet, collaborative science is not limited to large consortia. As communication and collaboration are vital to the progress of consciousness research, we believe team science should be facilitated so that every group of scientists, large or small, can embark on a collaborative project. Although funding is necessary for such an effort, it is not sufficient; team science is a challenging task that requires us to change the way we work. Newcomers to collaborative science might find themselves overwhelmed by the parameters they suddenly need to consider, the plans they need to make, the coordination they are required to, and the practices they need to learn.
This is what the ASSC25 tutorial, and this complementary website, aim to alleviate. Our goal is to show that collaboration can be a rewarding, beneficial journey, and that once getting to know some basic principles and tools, it can be made easier for everyone involved.
The goal of this website is to be a helpful resource for those who want to
- Develop a collaborative mindset
- Improve their research practices
- Learn about the challenges that a collaborative project entails that are different from the ones we meet when working in the confinements of a single lab
- Learn about the advantages that collaborative science brings with it
We will start with learning about project management in collaborative science. This is important for all career stages, from students to PIs; principles of time management, task magament, planning and communication are relevant when starting to collaborate with other researchers.
The practice of science itself, i.e., data collection and analysis, also changes when we work with others. Visit the data infrastructure and data analysis tutorials to see how.
Wait; what’s in it for me?
Why would an individual researcher in consciousness science start forming collaborations with other scientists? It can seem like collaborative work puts hurdles on the way of effective results. Maybe, one thinks that as they have their own theory, paradigm, and research methods, they have nothing to gain from collaborative work. However, collaborative work in consciousness provide us with an opportunity to sharpen existing theories, strengthen our experimental design, and generate better, more informed, reproducible results that contribute to other researchers in our field. When we work with other teams in other labs, we have the opportunity not only to learn new ideas and techniques, but also reflect on our existing ones.
As a student or an early-career researcher, collaborative work might seem not worhwhile, as it might yield little opportunity for individual publications compared to group ones. Yet, there is so much to gain from forming or joining a collaboration:
- Working in a team where people have different experience or view provides an excellent opportunity to learn new techniques, understand different theories, and develop a more holistic view of the field.
- This understanding can help form new ideas, facilitating new studies that yield first-author publications.
- Working in a team gives you an opportunity to find your own niche, deepening your knowledge and expertise.
- Working with others is a continuous networking event. By constantly working with others, you form a strong network of peers that can push each other forward.
As a PI, collaborative efforts are a way to actively participate in the shift consciousness science is now experiencing. Instead of a competitive atmosphere between rivals, group leaders can gain a lot from working together. In addition to setting a positive exmaple for the lab, a collaborations allow PIs to gain a much needed management training. The lab’s students will benefit from the improvement in leadership skills, and the PI can work more effectively.