Collaborative Research: VOSS: Joining a Virtual Organization: A Multi-Method Study of Newcomer to Established Collaborations

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The National Science Foundation (NSF) and other major funding agencies have emphasized the need for more distributed centers of research in order to solve problems of science and engineering that are too big for single investigators. Entry into new work settings is already challenging enough when newcomers are physically co-located with coworkers, but joining such a virtual research organization may prove even more difficult. This multi-method project studies the socialization processes newcomers face when joining existing virtual research organizations (e.g., collaboratories). Specifically, this study focuses on Post-Doctoral Fellows as newcomers joining either distributed or co-located research teams. Survey, comparative case study, and agent-based modeling methods will be employed to better understand how Post-Doctoral Fellows transition into their new positions and how such transitions can be improved. The objectives of the project are (1) to better understand under what general conditions Post-Doctoral Fellows are successful and (2) to identify social and technical barriers for Post-Doctoral Fellows entering virtual organizations. Understanding the practices that lead to Post-Doctoral Fellow success under co-located as compared to distributed conditions will improve virtual organizations by providing benefits to both the researcher and the research program. The long-term goal of this study is to identify, formalize, and gain insights into the smart practices of virtual organizations planning for and engaging newcomers. The results will be of value to all domains of science and engineering interested in virtual organizations, particularly those with fluid team membership.