Understanding the Value of Collaborative Work in Social Science Research Projects

Organised and productive team collaboration is of utmost importance in any contemporary workplace – this also applies for the social science field. As the nature of (research) work is becoming increasingly complex, specialised, and interdependent, we need to rely on the skills and efforts of teams and their individual members to create strategies and to find new research angles. 

Co-creation

Co-creation is a form of collaborative innovation. It literally means creating something new and can be defined as an open process that enables contributions from inside organisations or teams external to organisations in order to implement new ideas collaboratively. Most co-creation objectives can be classified into at least one of the following three categories:

Generation of ideas: In these cases, the objective is to collect ideas, suggestions or designs from external persons or stakeholders, e.g., through open-ended appeals.

Refinement: External and internal staff is working on refining one or more features of a target product or service in a collaborative and transparent way.

Creation: A prototype of an entirely new product, service or approach is created or implemented. In almost all cases, the prototype needs additional improvement before the implementation or production.

Collaborative workshops

Collaborative workshops are another important tool to promote collaboration within a team or a research project. Workshops are always a challenging assignment to handle since supervisors need to make sure that every participant or team member is able to contribute his or her ideas, is heard and understood. Of course, at the end of the day, collaborative workshops aim to find compromises and solutions and create a productive outcome. Here are some tips, strategies and creative examples on how to improve collaborative workshops:

Always plan ahead!

Starting a new project is always the hardest part, which is why it is crucial to start the planning process in advance and provide the whole team with a structured approach towards the new (research) project! Also, make sure you never start a meeting without an agenda.

Don’t overdo meetings, keep it short and simple!

Studies show that shorter meetings can significantly increase productivity, since the average attention span of an adult is 20-30 minutes, overall productivity declines after 50 minutes. If you feel like you need more time to make project progress, try to schedule shorter meetings instead of overloading your meeting with too much information.

Keep your people involved!

Especially when working in large groups, it is crucial to involve all team members in the discussion and creation process. Don’t leave anyone out, be open and listen to the ideas your colleagues bring to the table.

Use media input to promote creativity!

Whether during on-site or online meetings, it does not always have to be a classic discussion format. Don’t be afraid to use different media inputs like videos or charts to loosen up the atmosphere. In times of Zoom and online meetings this has never been easier!

Try out new things once in a while!

Other than using different media formats to collectively create something, why not try something different once in a while? LEGO SERIOUS PLAY, for example, is a way to support participants in their creative thinking and problem-solving process. Participants can build an answer or solution to a specific question raised beforehand out of Lego bricks. A fun alternative to brainstorm and generate new ideas! 

To sum it up, understanding the value and importance of collaborative wok settings can definitively increase productivity and has a positive impact on skill development. Finally, it functions as the ultimate motivator for employees to engage in research projects and bring new and innovative ideas to the table!