What role does community play in driving forward research?

Abstract

Ask an academic how progress is made in their research field and they will often answer: more funding, better facilities, increased data, and improved analysis techniques. Almost none will mention potentially the most powerful driver: community. Community is that hypothetical melting pot of ideas and innovation, the enabling of many minds to address the key questions to make significant progress: but how does this happen? How are different research communities shaped and structured?  How does this affect how knowledge in different research fields is shaped and structured?  What makes a community effective, and what makes it ineffective? How do we identify and disseminate key principles and approaches to optimise research progress and innovation within these communities?

In this seminar, Professor Sara Uckelman and Professor David Alexander will introduce their project via posing these questions, to provide a foundation for a discussion of the role(s) that community can play in driving research progress and innovation. 

Places are limited and so any academic colleagues or students interested in attending in person must register here for a place. 

More information about this IAS Major Project.